Naruto: Consequences
by Snafu the Great
Summary: Konoha is on the verge of destruction and they turn to Naruto for help. Only problem is that they banished Naruto 19 years ago and he wants nothing to do with Konoha. Second in the Consequences series and a response to P. Lionheart's challenge. Completed.
1. History of Whirlpool

**Naruto: Consequences**

A Naruto Fanfiction

By Snafu the Great

Snafu's Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto. Yes, I said that **Rise of the Emperor** was the last Naruto fanfic I was going to do, but after planning on working a series of fanfics called Consequences (the other fanfics being Evangelion – possibly – Dead or Alive and Ranma), I decided to go back on my word and revisit the world of the knuckleheaded ninja. Ironically, most of the material seen in Rise of the Emperor (i.e., Naruto rescuing the Jinchuuriki, has several ex-Akatsuki members under his command, married to Hinata, has a taste for Shang Tsung-style black clothing, the merchant houses, Zabuza and Haku being alive and well, Konohamaru's name change and the Konohamaru Corps' move to Suna, the Naruto getting a bloodline, Kyuubi being a female and her name being Kitami Akashiya, the House of Sovereigns council and Hinata being the Fox Sage) came from here, as I was working on this to originally respond to Perfect Lionheart's challenge.

**Naruto: Consequences** is the second in the Consequences Series, in which a main protagonist has been outright screwed over by his enemies or people who were supposed to be his friends, and those actions will ultimately lead to their downfall or in the most extreme cases, their ultimate destruction. For those who enjoy a fanfic in which Naruto **will not** aid Konoha in their final days, you will most definitely love this. There will be **absolutely no forgiveness, no mercy** for the baddies. Oh, and there are also some character deaths in the story...all from Konoha.

Also, this story will not be as long, nor it will not have any back stories like **Rise of the Emperor**. It does, however, have Naruto in a leadership role...but not as Kage of his own village. Originally, I was going to do a timeline of events, but series of articles detailing the history of Whirlpool Country and its background will allow me to go into further detail. Oh, and Haku is female and the second of Naruto's wives, Hinata being the first.

One more thing, I am modeling Rashoujin Hanzou after the actor Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones, Conan from Conan the Barbarian).

UPDATE: I changed some of the dialogue around in the intro.

**[Excerpts from the History of Whirlpool]**

**About Whirlpool and Neo Uzushiogakure**

Neo Uzushiogakure (or Neo Uzu for short) is built on the ruins of Old Uzushiogakure (Village Hidden in the Swirling Tides), located in Whirlpool Country. Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze is the Damiyo of Whirlpool, and Third Toad Sage. Nicknamed the Land of Exiles, Neo Uzu and is home to several shinobi clans, and other ninja nomad clans, as well as missing ninjas, Mist refugees from the bloodline wars, as well as several samurai clans. Its shinobi forces rivals that of Konoha in its prime. It is also one of the five great Shinobi villages in the country, having taken that title from its rival, Konohagakure no Sato.

Konan Uzumaki is the Rokudaime Uzukage of Whirlpool, while Yahiko Uzumaki is the commander of the Uzushiogakure ANBU Black Ops. Naruto's wife, Lady Hinata Namikaze, oversees the Uzushiogakure medic-ninja program while Anko Mitarashi oversees the Interrogation and Torture Division.

The ninja teams are similar to those of Konoha: a four-ninja cell (One jounin, three genin/chuunin – of which Naruto's children with Hinata are the latter). The Uzushiogakure Council consists of 24 members - 12 civilian and 12 clan heads. The civilian and shinobi cannot influence the other, a lesson Naruto learned as a Konoha ninja, thus keeping the civilian and shinobi matters separate, with Naruto as the council head. Like Konoha, Neo Uzu identifies its chuunin and jounin by flak vests – light gray for the chuunin, dark blue for the jounin and elite jounin, and are similar in design to those in Konoha. The Uzu ANBU is similar to its Konoha counterparts, but they do not wear animal masks to conceal their identities.

Neo Uzu has alliances with Suna, Snow and Mist. Due to Hinata being the wife of the Damiyo, has a non-aggression pact with Kumo (due to the fact that Kirabi and Yugito Nii both have a high degree of respect for Naruto). Iwa, despite the fact that Naruto is the son of Minato Namikaze, will not attack Neo Uzu as they too signed a non-aggression pact. Konoha and Fire Country, on the other hand, is openly hostile to Neo Uzu and neither the Hokage nor the Fire Damiyo does not recognize the village nor its damiyo.

Aside from the village, Whirlpool Country is home to a thriving mercantile guild known as the Pekara Merchant House, of which its main base of operations is located in the coastal town of Azura, with a port in Wave Country. The Pekara Merchant House has branches in Wind, Earth, Lightning, Spring and Water Countries, and has negotiated trade agreements with Sea, Tea, Forest, and Hot Water Countries. Combined with the Wave Protectorate's shipping fleet, the Pekara Mercantile Guild is the dominant merchant house in the area.

Neo Uzu has a 99 percent success rate in accomplishing assignments, both around Wave and in the Elemental Continents. Neo Uzu also holds Chuunin and Jounin tournaments twice a month among the Uzu shinobi, in order to keep their skills sharp. Uzushiogakure's methods of training has made Chuunin and Jounin-level ninja in less time then that of Konohagakure no Sato. Aside from those tournaments, Uzushiogakure also holds a annual Taijutsu tournament twice a year, of which the best from the Elemental Countries flock to Whirlpool Country to test their skills in open combat. Uzu's medic-ninja training program is the best Whirlpool has to offer, so much so that Water, Spring, Wind and Lightning often send their medics-in-training to undergo the training program, with great success.

**Rise of Damiyo Namikaze**

In some cases, an end is merely a beginning in disguise. Such is the case of the current Damiyo of Whirlpool, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. The son of deposed Whirlpool Damiyo Kushina Uzumaki and her husband, the Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze, Naruto was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko (Nine-Tailed Fox), as his mother and grandmother was before him.

Orphaned during the Nine-Tails' attack on Konohagakure no Sato, Naruto was treated as the village pariah, seen by most of the village as the Nine-Tails reborn. rather than the village hero as his late father had requested in his final wishes to Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi. Instead, Despite being denied nearly everything in his right, Naruto set his sights on becoming Hokage and with the support of Hiruzen Sarutobi, enlists into the Konohagakure Shinobi Academy. Graduating at the age of twelve along, he was assigned to Cell Seven, consisting of Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha, with Kakashi Hatake as their sensei.

Prior to the Chuunin Exams and the death of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Naruto would make an impression wherever he went. Most of Konoha's citizenry and shinobi forces would go on to say that their trading and military alliances were all because of the Uchiha, but history is sometimes written by those who slander their heroes. It was because of Naruto that Konohagakure and Fire Country had several trading and military alliances with Spring (formerly Snow) Country, Wave Country (of which he used his shadow clones to steal and hide Gatou's immense wealth in Whirlpool Country and handing over Gatou's shipping business to the people of Wave), Tea Country, Sea Country, and countless others.

Despite all of this, Naruto was denied advancement because of the bigotry of the villagers. Not even when he was instrumental in stopping Gaara's rampage during the Suna-Oto Invasion of Konohagakure, or bringing back Tsunade Senju to become the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, he was still denied the rank of Chuunin.

**The Uchiha Retrieval Mission, Betrayal, and Banishment**

It is known that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Such is the case of Sasuke Uchiha. During the Chuunin Exams, he was approached by Orochimaru, who had placed the Cursed Seal of Heaven upon his body, thus granting the Uchiha a sample of immense power. Seduced with the opportunity to gain more power under the Snake Sage in order to avenge his clan, Sasuke defected from the village.

Almost immediately, a team of genin, led by newly-minted Chuunin Shikamaru Nara was organized, consisting of Chouji Akamichi, Neji Hyuuga, Rock Lee, Kiba Inuzuka, and Naruto Uzumaki on Tsunade's orders to retrieve the rogue Uchiha. Assisted by the Sand Siblings of Suna (Gaara, Kankuro and Temari), the Uchiha Retrieval Mission was underway. As the rest of Team Shikamaru faced off against the Sound Four, it was Uzumaki who had faced off against the Uchiha.

Despite the use of the Cursed Seal and the power of the Chidori, Sasuke had fallen to both the greater will of his former teammate...as well as the power of the Nine-Tails which Naruto wielded. With Team Shikamaru suffering numerous injuries, and Uzumaki himself suffering not one, but two Chidoris in the chest and shoulder, the Uchiha Retrieval Mission was a success, as Sasuke Uchiha was returned to Konohagakure no Sato.

With the Uchiha safely back in the village and the retrieval mission a success, Naruto had hoped that he would receive the recognition from both the civilians and the shinobi that he had earned.

He was wrong.

Despite everything, he was to be banished, with the full support of Jiraiya (who is after his father's jutsu and seals), Tsunade Senju (who blames Naruto for Kushina's death), the Fire Lord (who wants a piece of the combined wealth of the Uzumaki Namikaze family), the other members of the Konoha 11 (who sees Naruto as the Nine-Tails incarnate), and the Konohagakure Council (who also wants a cut of the riches of Naruto's parents as well as the Uzushiogakure jutsu). It was clear that both Tsunade and Jiraiya was not crazy about the Uchiha as were the other members, but they hated Naruto even more.

He also discovers that he is the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze and upon his banishment and death at the hands of the ROOT ANBU, the seals surrounding the Namikaze Compound will be weakened enough for Jiraiya to break through, allowing Konoha to rob him of the combined wealth and jutsu belonging to the Uzumaki Namikaze clan. The only person against this sinister plot was Special Jounin Anko Mitarashi, who was demoted to Chuunin for defending Naruto.

Naruto – who had overheard the conspirators as he was disguised as a member of the ANBU Black Ops outside the Hokage's office – was outright furious at this betrayal by those he considered to be the closest thing he had as a family, as well as the callousness of the village and that of the Fire Damiyo. The dream of being Hokage died that very day.

Aside from his impending banishment, Naruto had overheard that Hyuuga Clan Head Hiashi Hyuuga is planning on stripping his eldest daughter, Hinata Hyuuga of her position as heiress by her father and the Hyuuga elders and ordered to be branded with the Caged Bird Seal upon confirmation of Naruto's death. Upon finding out about her father's intentions from Naruto during a visit to the Hyuuga Compound, Hinata decides to flee with Naruto.

With an assist by the Nine-Tails, Naruto left a Kyuubi-powered, explosive kage bushin under a henge in Hinata's place before the pair fled to the safety of the Namikaze Estate, the Nine-Tails breaking through the seals with ease, allowing Hinata and Naruto access before sealing the estate behind them once more. While inside the estate, the kangaroo trial of Naruto Uzumaki was underway. Disgusted with the proceedings, Gaara and the Sand Siblings had left for Suna, but not alone, as the Konohamaru Corps had left the village with them, despite the best efforts of Asuma Sarutobi, who had pleaded with his nephew and his friends to remain in Konohagakure.

As expected, during the trial, Sasuke Uchiha was cleared of any and all wrongdoing, as all blame was placed upon the Cursed Seal and on Uzumaki himself. The trial ended with a guilty verdict; the sentence was immediate banishment from the Leaf. Naruto and Hinata both fled the village hours after the banishment orders came down from the Fire Lord and the Konoha Council. Tsunade sent out a squad of ANBU Black Ops, led by Kakashi Hatake, Hiashi Hyuuga and Jiraiya in hot pursuit of the pair the following day.

While this is going on, Naruto had came into contact with Anko Mitarashi and had asked for her help. She agreed, as she was the only person in the village to realize that Naruto had gotten a raw deal. No one came to Naruto's aid, despite everything. Not even Ichiraku and his daughter, as it had turned out, had been poisoning Naruto's ramen since day one. Fortunately, the Nine-Tails had neutralized the poisons, making them ineffective against the now-banished ninja.

As the people of Konohagakure celebrated the banishment of the jinchuuriki, Naruto made his own plans of escape. First, he and Anko cleaned out the weapons depot of every single weapons-grade exploding tags. In the dead or night, they tagged the Market District, the Uchiha District and the Hokage Monument. Second, Naruto had broke into the Hokage's office and stole the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing, as it had belonged to both his mother and father, as well as his birth certificate, signed by the Fire Lord and by his father. Third, out of pure spite, he killed the Fire Lord's cat, skinned it and sent its remains to the Fire Lord's wife. Last, Naruto had Anko use her Snake summons to notify Wave, Spring and several of Konoha's allies of their treachery.

Returning to the Namikaze Estate, Naruto, Anko and Hinata cleaned it out of its immense wealth (as Kushina did not trust Konohagakure with the Uzumaki clan's immense fortunes, combined with the wealth that Minato had gained, which is why she had hidden it inside the estate), and of its jutsu. With the assistance of the Nine-Tails, Naruto recovered an O-katana from a hidden panel – the signature weapon of Kushina Uzumaki, and several Hiraishin kunai belonging to his father. After rigging the place to explode with the remaining tags once Jiraiya break through the seals, Naruto, Hinata and Anko waited. Once the false Naruto and Hinata were destroyed by Jiraiya and the others, Naruto triggered the exploding tags. In the ensuing chaos, Naruto, Hinata and Anko escaped via a reverse summon to the home of the Toads – Myobokuzan Mountain.

**Asylum**

With Hinata and Anko backing up his claims, Naruto told the Toads of Konoha's intentions and of Jiraiya's treachery. Enraged, Gamabunta and Fukasaku reversed summoned Jiraiya. The look on the perverted sage's face was all that was needed upon seeing Naruto, Anko and Hinata standing before the Toad Council. Fukasaku, Shima, Gamabunta, Gamakichi and Gamatatsu had ended up beating Jiraiya within an inch of his life, which was followed by the Great Toad Sage sealing off Jiraiya's senjutsu chakra. Before booting the now-former Toad Sage out of Myobokuzan, Fukasaku issued the following decree:

"The alliance between Konogakure no Sato and Myoboukzan is hereby dissolved! You shame us with your actions, Jiraiya of the Sannin. We strip you of the summoning contract and give it to the son of the Yondaime. Furthermore, we will contact the other summons whose allegiance is that of Konohagakure and tell them to break off their contracts because of this treachery. Neither you nor the Leaf deserve our protection. Should anyone try to summon us, then Orochimaru will be the least of your concerns!"

Naruto was rewarded with the Toads Contract, and began to undergo senjutsu training. With the help of several shadow clones, he managed to get the basics down. By that time, the world outside of Myobokuzan was changing, and in Konoha's case, it was for the worst.

As expected, upon receiving word of the conspiracy and of Konoha's treachery, Suna and Wind Country had terminated the military alliance with Konohagakure and Fire Country. Spring Country and Harugakure (formerly Yukigakure) did the same, terminating its own trading and military alliance agreements with Konoha and Fire Country. Wave Country followed suit, upon paying off its mission. Unknown to Konoha, Naruto had several shadow clones secure the immense wealth belonging to Gato and hidden it in both Wave and the ruins of Whirlpool Country.

The victory was a bittersweet one, as Naruto, Anko and Hinata were placed inside the Bingo Book – all A-ranked missing ninja. Of course, Naruto's rank was raised to an S-rank when it became known that Jiraiya had triggered the remaining exploding tags inside the Namikaze Estate once he had broken the seals, leaving half of his face burned and killing several ANBU present.

Three months after the Sasuke Retrieval Mission, Naruto received word through Gaara that Spring Damiyo Koyuki Kazahana was offering the trio of missing ninja political asylum in her native Spring Country. Accepting the offer, Naruto, Anko and Hinata undergo a long and dangerous journey from Myobokuzan to Spring. However, near the Fire-Lightning border, they ran into a Konohagakure scouting party consisting of ROOT ANBU.

Despite crossing the border into Lightning Country, the ROOT ANBU remained in pursuit. Before the trio of missing ninja were overrun, they were rescued by a group of Jounin, led by Kumo kunoichi Yugito Nii, jinchuuriki to the Nibi no Bakaneko – the Two-Tailed Monster Cat. Recognizing the missing ninja from the Bingo Book, Yugito took them to see the Raikage of Kumo, A and his brother, Kirabi, jinchuuriki to the Hachibi no Kyogu – the Eight-Tailed Giant Ox. There, the renegade jinchuuriki and the most powerful ninja in Kumo had a sit-down, where A spoke of Naruto's father in a positive light.

"We were on opposite sides in the last Shinobi War," A explained. "We both fought when we were Jounin. Out of all of the ninja I had fought, your old man earned my respect. I actually mourned his untimely passing. Good man, even better ninja. Gone before his time. Shame. I was looking forward to seeing who was the strongest Kage out of both of us."

A and Naruto would continue to talk for several hours. Afterward, A and the Lightning Damiyo granted Naruto, Anko and Hinata safe passage through Lightning Country, where they caught a ship taking them to Spring Country.

Under the protection of Damiyo Kazahana, Naruto, Anko and Hinata felt safe for the first time in months. With Konohagakure shinobi effectively banned from her lands, the missing-ninja finally felt at peace. During this time, the Nine-Tails approached Naruto with an interesting offer – training in order to defend himself from not only his former village, but the Akatsuki in exchange for freedom.

Naruto accepted the offer, and with the aid of the Kyuubi, safely broke the seal. Naruto had blacked out for three days as his chakra system had adjusted to without the chakra of the Nine-Tails hindering it. Upon regaining consciousness, he was greeted with the sight of a shapely redheaded woman standing nearly six feet tall with piercing green eyes, pale skin, and a curvaceous frame that could put Tsunade to shame.

The humanized Nine-Tails – whose self-given name was Kitami Akashiya – laid out her plans for both Naruto and Hinata. She will train the both of them in Ninjitsu, Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. While Naruto undergoes the sage training by the Toads, Hinata will be training under Kitami to become the third Fox Sage. Kitami then revealed to Naruto several revelations – that the Uzumaki, Uchiha and Senju clans were the direct descendants of the Six Paths Sage. Whereas the Uchiha was granted the Sharingan, the Senju was granted Earth Release, while the Uzumaki – unknown to the Senju and the Uchiha – were given the ultimate dojutsu, the Rinnegan.

In the four years under Kitami's tutelage, Naruto and Hinata's skills have drastically improved. Hinata had become a talented medic-ninja and a prodigy in the Taijutsu arts. Naruto, on the other hand, had become a master in both Taijutsu and Kenjutsu, and mastered both the sage arts and the Rinnegan, as well as learning political intrigue from Damiyo Kazahana and the Spring Council. By the age of sixteen, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze was christened the Third Toad Sage, while Hinata was declared the Third Fox Sage, complete with an Enhanced Bykaugan.

It is also that while in Spring Country, Naruto and Hinata had gotten closer. By Hinata's thirteenth birthday, they were both dating. Once their training was completed, they were married, their wedding attended by Damiyo Kazahana, Kitami Akashiya, Anko Mitarashi, Gaara and the Sand Siblings, Team Misfits (Mari Sarutobi, Moegi and Udon) and Godaime Mizukage Mei Terumi. The union from the pair would produce two children – one boy and one girl – fraternal twins. Minato Uzumaki Namikaze would be the designated heir to his position of Damiyo, while Hitomi Uzumaki Namikaze worked to surpass her mother as a medic ninja.

Their godparents were the Kazekage Gaara, and the Sand Siblings, Team Misfits, the Raikage A and his brother Kirabi, Yugito Nii and Damiyo Kazahana, showing that the revitalized Namikaze clan had friends in high places.

**The Mercenary Years**

The next seven years, Naruto, his wife, and Anko found work as ninja mercenaries. During this time, two renegade Amegakure ninja joined their ranks near Kumogakure – Uzumaki master swordsman Yahiko Uzumaki and his companion, deposed Amegakure leader Konan. Both were former members of the Akatsuki, the organization of S-class missing ninja who were in fact, controlled by Uchiha clan founder Madara Uchiha.

As it turned out, Yahiko was descended from refugees of the Uzumaki clan which had scattered in the last Shinobi War, and was raised in Amegakure. Like Naruto, Yahiko was disllusioned with how his organization had ended up corrupted. Furthermore, he was happy to see that he was not the last of the Uzumaki clan. He had also given Naruto vital information in regards to the Akatsuki – that Madara Uchiha desired the powers of the tailed beasts for his plans of word domination.

It also became known that Konohagakure was redoubling their efforts in eliminating the missing ninja after Jiraiya's spy network had informed the former Toad Sage that the missing ninja had resurfaced. However, it was during a Taijutsu tournament being hosted in Tea Country that after defeating Rock Lee, Tenten and Hinata defeating Neji Hyuuga and Anko Mitarashi besting Mighty Gai that Tsunade and the Konohagakure Council saw that they were not the same genin-level ninja who had fled the village. They were now SS-class threats.

Over the seven years, Naruto and Hinata had decimated the ANBU Black Ops and the ROOT ANBU sent their way by Konohagakure no Sato, as well as the bounty hunters looking to cash in on their bounties placed on their heads. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio fell to the Namikaze couple (Shikamaru notifying the council that the missing-ninja were parents, much to Hiashi's dismay). The elder Ino-Shika-Cho trio tracked the Namikaze family and Anko Mitarashi to Spring Country, where they were visiting Damiyo Kazahana.

Like their children, Inochi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara and Chouza Akamichi failed.

Trying the political route, Konoha sent a special envoy to Damiyo Kazahana led by Jiraiya, Hiashi Hyuuga, Kakashi Hatake, and Danzou Shimura, demanding that she hands over not only Anko, Naruto and Hinata, but also their children, as he planned on branding them with the Caged Bird Seal and shoving them into the Branch Family. Kazahana flatly refused the demand, as the Namikaze family and Anko had left earlier that week...

Kazahana was not amused. "You want me to hand over the hero of Spring Country, who without him, my homeland would still be under the rule of my uncle, a tyrant who tried to kill me? And why should I surrender the whereabouts of our hero and his family?"

Hiashi maintained his stoic posture. "With all due respect, Lady Damiyo...the Kyuubi brat is a threat to the safety of Konohagaure no Sato, and of Fire Country. Both him and his whore must be eliminated."

Kazahana scoffed. "A threat that is of your own creation. Oh yes, I know how Konoha pissed on the dying wishes of the Yondaime – Naruto's father. I also know about Shimura's desire to turn him into a living weapon because he is the jailer of the Nine-Tails."

Danzou's eye narrowed dangerously. "Be careful how you speak of such things, Lady Damiyo. You may not like how people choose to defend themselves."

"You should be more worried about yourself, Councilman Shimura," Kazahana replied, her voice as cold as ice. "I do not respond to idle threats very well. You can take your demands and shove it. I will not betray Namikaze, his wife, or my godchildren. Furthermore, I have no desire to deal with a village who would not only kiss the ass of a potential traitor and blame a boy for something that was not in his control."

"You dare insult the strongest of the shinobi villages?" Hiashi responded. "Wars have been started for less. The Fire Lord and the Godaime will not like this, _Lady Damiyo_."

"I dare, because Konoha is not as strong as you claim it to be. Kazahana replied, unfazed by the threat. "And I know several other villages and countries that would _love_ to see Konohagakure burn to the ground...Mist and their Water Damiyo...Suna and my counterpart in Wind Country...three villages against one. Not good odds. No Sandaime...no Yondaime...and no jinchuuriki to save your asses. You are right about one thing, Hyuuga. Wars have been started for less...especially when the head of a foreign nation is threatened and insulted."

Danzou looked troubled. "You wouldn't dare...you couldn't..."

"Oh, I would, Councilman," Kazahana shot back. "Now leave. I've made it clear that Konohagakure is not welcome here...especially those from Cell Seven. Furthermore, any acts of aggression towards myself or towards Spring Country will result in war. Get out."

With the political attempt a failure, Konoha redoubled their efforts, only to have a sizable portion of their ANBU decimated, and the Konoha 11 defeated, along with the Elite Jounins.

In Hot Water Country, it came to a violent head. Led by Kakashi Hatake and Kurenai Sarutobi, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame tracked down their missing teammates and a fight ensued. In the years of their exile, the Konoha ninja found out the hard way that Naruto and Hinata had drastically improved in their skills. With Konan and Yahiko watching from the sidelines and keeping an eye on Minato and Hitomi, the fight commenced, with Hinata and Kitami fighting Cell Eight and Naruto and Anko dealing with Cell Seven. Unknown to both parties, Jiraiya was watching the brawl from the shadows.

The fight was indeed brutal. But despite superior numbers, Kitami and Hinata defeated Cell Eight, while Anko had taken down Sakura Haruno, leaving Naruto to face his former teammate and sensei in a 2-on-1 match. Despite Kakashi being a master of over 1000 jutsus and Sasuke obtaining the Magenkyou Sharingan, Naruto unleashed the fury of his taijutsu and senjutsu arts upon the Sharingan wielders. One Hirashin followed by a Thousand Years of Pain (i.e., Naruto punting Kakashi in the ass, sending him **through** a tree), and the lazy Jounin was out of commission.

Anko bowed out of the fight as the Uchiha prince and the Namikaze fought in a rematch from their confrontation at the Valley of the End. As expected, Sasuke used the power of the Cursed Seal, of which Naruto countered with his Rinnegan. Sasuke was easily outmatched as Naruto once again, and was dealt a crushing blow to Sasuke's ego by defeating him with little effort, but sparing his life and leaving him with some parting words.

"Remember this day, _old friend.___Remember the day that the dead last had you in his power. You're not even worth staining my hands or my blade with your blood. Go home. Go home and remember that I spared your pathetic life on a whim. Cross me again, and your brother will be the next best choice of reviving the Uchiha. To put it in words that you will understand, you fuck with me, I will send your head back to Konoha."

Upon returning to Konoha, Sasuke, Kakashi and Kurenai report to Tsunade and the council about Naruto's bloodline. This catches Danzou's interest, as he begins to see the possibilities of having the Rinnegan in his possession.

During the seven years abroad, Naruto met an older wandering shinobi by the name of Rashoujin Hattori Hanzou. Unknown to Naruto at the time, Rashoujin is the great-grandson of the late Amegakure warlord Hanzou the Salamander, and the current holder of the salamander contract. It was originally thought that Hanzou's family had been wiped out in the Second Shinobi War, but that was false. One of Hanzou's daughters had escaped at his request and had taken refuge at a minor shinobi village.

The ensuing battle between Naruto and Rashoujin lasted for three hours and had ended up leveling a chunk of Forest Country. Ninjitsu, Taijutsu, even summons were used as Naruto and Rashoujin gave each other no quarter. In the end, the battle was a draw, but both Naruto and Rashoujin came to respect the other for their strength and will. It is through this encounter that Rashoujin will take back what is rightfully his – Amegakure no Sato.

**Revival of Whirlpool and Damiyo of Whirlpool Country**

Following the seven years traveling abroad, Naruto decided to set up shop in Whirlpool Country, his mother's ancestral home. The dream of being a kage having long since died following his banishment, he formed Neo Uzushiogakure no Sato with Konan Uzumaki as the Rokudaime Uzukage. By birthright, Naruto Namikaze was the next in line to rule Whirlpool Country. So he took control as the Fifth Whirlpool Damiyo. As Damiyo, Naruto's Bingo Book entry is automatically invalid, as is Hinata's entry since she is the Damiyo's wife. The Whirlpool Ruins was already populated with the remnants of the Uzumaki clan who had decided to stay as well as a number of ronin samurai and those who fled Mist and Water Country during the bloodline purges. Backed with the infinite reserves of Gato's wealth that he had stolen, Naruto had Neo Uzushiogakure up and running within nine months.

With Naruto as the Damiyo, he began to recruit even more ninja, as well as rebuild the island and village. He even went as far as annexing the island north of Whirlpool – a mountainous, forested region – and turned it into a training and living area for the Uzushiogakure shinobi. The Namikaze children were the first to graduate from the rebuilt Uzushiogakure Shinobi. Minato turned out to be a prodigy in the Uzumaki Namikaze style of fuinjutsu and taijutsu, while Hitomi was a gifted medic-ninja and a master in her mother's style of Shin Jyuuken and her father's kenjutsu. With Minato possessing the Rinnegan and Hitomi the Bykaugan, they found themselves in the crosshairs of their parents' former village.

But, as expected, sheer luck and pulling off the impossible, not to mention being completely unpredictable is an Uzumaki trait that Naruto passed on to his kids once they became Uzu shinobi. Aside from being the Damiyo of Whirlpool, Naruto also taught at the Uzushiogakure Shinobi Academy in weapons combat and taijutsu. Through Uzushiogakure's methods, the revived village was known to produce chuunin and jounin-level ninja in half the time it took for Konohagakure to take to produce ninja of that caliber, which irked Konoha to no end.

As Damiyo of Whirlpool, Naruto forged military and trading alliances with Lightning, Wind and Spring Countries. Through hard negotiation, he managed to get Earth Country and Iwagakure to sign a non-aggression pact between their two countries and villages, as Iwa is honor bound not to violate the diplomatic immunity status that Naruto has a Whirlpool Damiyo.

It is also through the annual Taijutsu tournaments which Naruto holds that Konoha finds out about Naruto's resurfacing as the Whirlpool Damiyo. A team of Konohagakure ninja, led by Jiraiya, were sent to both scout Whirlpool and to win the prize money. They failed to win, but reported back that Naruto was the leader of Whirlpool, and of his children with Hinata.

In an interesting side-note, Konoha had sent out a marriage proposal to Kitami Akashiya (unknown to them as the Nine Tails in Human form) on the behalf of Sasuke Uchiha. Kitami flat-out refused the offer, which ultimately meant that Sasuke and more importantly, Konoha would gain a major foothold in Whirlpool Country, thus undermining Naruto and Konan's authority. Second, Hiashi sent word to Hinata that he wanted to meet both her and her children. Wisely, Hinata refused, knowing that her father would violate the automatic immunity status she has as Naruto's wife by attacking her and their children.

Her concerns were verified when a crack squad of Konoha ROOT ANBU and a squad of Hyuuga Ninja infiltrated the island country with orders to kidnap both Minato and Hitomi – Danzou wishing to take Minato and train him to be Konoha's ultimate weapons because of his eyes, and Hiashi, wishing to subjugate Hitomi to the Caged Bird Seal. They did not get very far, as their presence was detected by the Whirlpool Damiyo and his wife almost immediately. The squad of Konoha ninja were slaughtered with the exception of one of the Hyuuga Ninja, of which Hinata allowed to return home...after placing a time-delayed Caged Bird Seal on her, designed to kill her once she returned to Konoha to deliver a message to both Danzou and Hiashi:

_**To Councilman Shimura and Hiashi Hyuuga: I believe the men sealed inside the scroll belong to your ROOT ANBU and your main branch clan respectively. It is with regret that our children could not accompany them, as they have other priorities pertaining to Whirlpool. Sincerely, Damiyo Naruto Namikaze, Lady Hinata Namikaze**_

In the fifth year of Naruto's rule as Whirlpool Damiyo, the Akatsuki once again resurfaced. Despite having lost Hidan and Kazuku (both were killed by Yugito and Kirabi), the organization of S-class criminals were still a threat. Later, Naruto received word that a joint Oto-Akatsuki Invasion of Whirlpool Country was imminent. Led by Akatsuki chieftain Madara Uchiha and his second-in-command Pain, with the Oto forces commanded by Orochimaru, Whirlpool looked to be finished before it started.

Unknown to both Orochimaru and Madara, their intentions were already known by Naruto through his network of spies and informants, and he had planned accordingly. Suna, led by the Kazekage Gaara, along with Mizu, led by the Godaime Mizukage Mei Terumi formed a military alliance with Uzushiogakure, as they both had scores to settle with both Oto and the Akatsuki. With the blessings of A, Yugito Nii and Kirabi also joined in the battle, along with a small number of Kumo jounin. The Uzushiogakure Invasion has begun.

With the civilians evacuated, Naruto led the assault. With the Shinobi world watching in anticipation, the invasion had begun. Fighting broke out in Whirlpool and North Whirlpool. It was also the shortest battle in the history of warfare, lasting only three hours. In that time, the Akatsuki were wiped out, and Orochimaru's forces were decimated. Kitami Akashiya was credited with slaying Madara Uchiha, Kabuto Yakushi was slain by Hinata Namikaze, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki were both killed by Naruto Namiakze. Orochimaru narrowly escaped as his Oto forces were slain down to the last man.

Seeking asylum in the one place he had sought to destroy, he was welcomed into Konohagakure by his former teammates. There, Orochimaru had given a fully detailed account of the Uzushiogakure Invasion, and of Itachi's defeat by the hands of the Whirlpool Damiyo himself. Sasuke was not very happy to hear that Naruto was the one to have killed his brother.

Tsunade and the Konohagakure Council grants Orochimaru asylum under a series of conditions – that Orochimaru will not conduct any experiments on the populace and that he takes Sasuke Uchiha on as his student. Orochimaru agrees to the conditions set before him. The Legendary Sanin were once again on the same side. It would be another year until Orochimaru would meet his untimely end.

As Whirlpool rebuilt its village and island, Naruto entered into a series of negotiations with the people of Wave Country. As Wave was still open to attack from Fire Country, the Whirlpool Damiyo offered protection in exchange for Wave becoming a protectorate under Whirlpool, as most of the Uzu shinobi there had loved ones and family in the southern island. Tazuna and the Wave Council agreed to the terms. Wave Country would greatly benefit under the protection of Uzushiogakure and its Damiyo, who they see as a hero.

However, Fire Country and Konohagakure would object to the plans in a most extreme way, thus intiating the Wave Conflict. Led by the three Sanin, Konohagakure invaded Wave Country two years later, claiming that Whirlpool was a threat and that Wave would act as a buffer zone. Before a full-scale war could erupt, Naruto challenged the three sages in a 3-on-1 match. Should they win, then Naruto would surrender Wave and retreat to Whirlpool. Should Naruto win, then Konoha loses all claim to Wave and leave the island.

With the gathered Konoha ninja watching – Sasuke Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake and Sakura Haruno among them as well as the other members of the Konoha 11 – Naruto fought the three Sanin. Despite the numbers advantage that the three Konohagakure ninja had over the Whirlpool Damiyo, Naruto had countered each of the Sanin's attacks and defeated them. With the people of Wave, the Konohagakure ninja and the Kazakage and Mizukage watching as witnesses, Naruto – perched on top of Gamakichi's head – passed judgment upon the Sanin.

"By right, Wave Country is now under the protection of Whirlpool Country and of Neo Uzushiogakure no Sato! Any further attempts of aggression towards the people of Wave will be seen as an act of war! To you...Jiraiya...Tsunade Senju...and Orochimaru...you were granted the title of Konohagakure's Legendary Sanin by Hanzou the Salamander as a result of surviving his onslaught. As that title was blessed upon you, so it can be taken away. As the Damiyo of Whirlpool..,**I strip you of your title of Legendary Sanin!**"

Orochimaru did not take the news very well. Kusanagi drawn, he tried to attack Naruto from behind. Naruto, having suspected that Orochimaru would try and pull something like this, activated a hidden seal placed on his body during the match, effectively immobilizing him long enough for Naruto to decapitate him with his katana. Threatening to do the same to the remaining former sanin, Tsunade and Jiraiya led the Konoha ninja back across the bridge and back into Fire Country.

Days later, the Great Naruto Bridge was destroyed by a squad of Uzushiogakure ANBU's Demolitions Unit, effectively cutting off access from the mainland. It would be the last time that the Namikaze clan would set their eyes on the disgraced Sanin ever again.

**Invasion of Fire Country**

In the decade following the banishment of Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, Konohagakure's status as one of the strongest shinobi villages had started to wane. Repeated attacks from both the smaller villages and the deaths of several high-ranking shinobi, and the near-crippling effects of the trade embargo set in place, Konoha, and Fire Country as a whole was now seen as a pariah state, especially after their performance during the Wave Conflict in which Naruto had stripped the title of Konoha's Legendary Sanin from Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

After the death of Orochimaru, Tsunade stepped down as Godaime Hokage and Sasuke Uchiha was named the Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha. Almost immediately, Sasuke made plans to invade Whirlpool and the Wave Protectorate and destroy his nemesis once and for all. But it was not meant to be. With the rise of Amegakure as a major shinobi power and its alliance with Iwakagure no Sato, Danzou, the Fire Lord and the Konoha Civilian Council saw Rashoujin Hanzou as a major threat.

Unknown to Sasuke, Danzou had ordered a black-ops mission with his best ROOT ANBU, ordering them to head into Ame and assassinate Rashoujin Hanzou. The mission was a failure, as Hanzou and his Ame shinobi slew the ROOT ANBU. It was only after Ame marched into Fire Country and towards the Fire Capital did Sasuke find out about what Danzou had done. Furious, Sasuke killed not only Danzou Shimura, but also the Konoha Civilian Council, the two elder ninja, Koharu Utatane and Honmura Mitokado, and seized control of the ROOT ANBU.

Hanzou's forces moved swiftly through Fire Country, laying siege upon the Fire Capital and taking the Fire Lord and his family hostage. Sasuke led a crack squad of Jounin-level ninja to liberate the Fire Capital and free the Fire Lord. But Hanzou saw this coming and led the Hokage and his forces into a trap. Out of a force of 200 Jounin, only 10 survived the slaughter. Among the casualties were the original Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Shino and Shibi Aburame, Tsume and Kiba Inuzuka, Hiashi Hyuuga, Neji Hyuuga, Maito Gai, Rock Lee, and Kakashi Hatake. Sasuke Uchiha was injured when Hanzou ripped out his eyes and crushed them under his heel, before crippling the Uchiha, rendering him unable to use his legs. The mission was a failure and the surviving jounin was forced to retreat.

In desperation, Konoha and the Fire Lord reached out to their former allies for salvation. Suna and Wind Country flat-out refused, as did Spring Country. Kumo and Lightning Country remained neutral. With Sasuke Uchiha crippled, Tsunade was forced to retake the post of Hokage. Several other minor Shinobi villages rallied to Amegakure's cause, launching guerrilla-style raids on Konoha, weakening the village even further. After Tsunade took back her post, Grass ninja launched a devastating raid on Konoha, destroying the hospital and killing all inside, including Sakura Haruno, Shizune and the crippled Rokudaime himself.

The situation looked very bleak for Konoha and Fire Country. Their shinobi forces were down by half, leaving only a handful of battle-experienced Jounin, along with Chuunin and Genin who had not seen battle. Oh, yes, Konohagakure was in its final days. Soon, Hanzou would do what even Orochimaru had failed to do, and will soon launch a leave-no-survivors assault on the village...


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

_The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout, "Save us!" _

_...And I'll whisper, "No." _

- Rorschach, Watchmen

Neo Uzushiogakure no Sato, Whirlpool Country. Nineteen years after the Uchiha Retrieval Mission, eight years after the founding of Whirlpool

Early morning in Neo Uzushiogakure no Sato. Aside from the Uzu ANBU which patrolled the streets and the surrounding countryside, it was very peaceful.

The previous night, however, it was a different story.

It was the anniversary of Whirlpool's reformation under its current Damiyo. The son of its previous Damiyo, Whirlpool kunoichi Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze and her husband, the Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze, he had resurrected Neo Uzu and led it to greatness under his rule. In eight years, Neo Uzushiogakure was one of the strongest Shinobi villages, having surpassed Konohagakure no Sato.

Inside the Damiyo's residence – which was a walled compound, rather than a castle typical for the ruler of the country, the Damiyo in question was in bed with his wife. Clothes were strewn across the floor from the door leading to their bedroom. The room was locked with a seal, which kept any noise made inside out and to keep anyone wanting to come in outside. The man was six feet tall, with a wiry muscular frame. Tousled blond hair framed his face, of which the foxlike whiskers which had identified him as a jinchuuriki were gone. Despite being thirty-one, he still held a boyish charm to his face. He was also awake, as his body was pressed firmly into his wife's backside.

One calloused hand ran along her curves, causing her to giggle in her sleep. Nineteen years, and he knew the contours and curves of her five-foot-six frame like the back of his hand. Like him, she was also thirty-one, him being two months older than she was, buxom with long dark hair ending halfway down her back. Usually she would let it fall down her back, but when she was training the medic-ninjas or sparring, she kept it tied in a braid.

She giggled again. This time, she was awake. "Pervert," she whispered.

"That's Damiyo Pervert to you," was the reply.

She turned around in the bed, so that she was facing him. His azure eyes stared back into those of pupiless lavender, which identified her as one of the Hyuuga, and wielder of the Bykaugan.

Hinata Namikaze stuck her tongue out at her husband. "Well, Damiyo Pervert, you plan on getting out of bed? Our kids are still here, you know."

Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze smiled back at his wife. "We got about an extra hour. You can set your clock to Minato and Hitomi."

He moved in for a kiss, but ended up kissing air, as Hinata had escaped his grasp. She was now standing on her feet, naked as the day she was born. With natural beauty like hers, men would gladly go to war for her hand. Fortunately for Naruto, she was all his.

At least she was considering enough not to pull a substitution jutsu like the last time.

"Just one kiss, Hina-hime?" he mocked begged.

Her response was to throw a pair of pants at him before slipping on a crimson robe over her naked form. Naruto saw that it was the robe he picked up for her from his last visit to Wave Country when he was checking up on the Uzu garrison stationed there. Hinata loved that robe.

"The last time you said that, we ended up destroying the dining room table," she replied as Naruto got out of bed, now naked from the waist up.

Naruto smiled at the memory. It was three weeks ago. Hitomi and Minato were out on assignment, Kitami was roaming the grounds in her fox form, and they were all alone. "In my defense, you started it," he replied, as it was Hinata who instigated the whole thing.

One flash of yellow light and Hinata found herself pinned to the wall by her husband. She could have easily used a substitute jutsu to escape, but she enjoyed teasing him, and she enjoyed his attention to her.

"So..." Naruto gently pressed his weight against his wife. "...if I wanted to stop right now, you think you could stop me?"

Hinata smiled. "I think the question you should be asking me is do I really want to."

They resumed their kissing. Naruto noticed that Hinata was leading him back to their bed. 'Damn it feels good to be the Damiyo,' he thought as Hinata pounced on him.

* * *

><p>Neo Uzushiogakure Complex – sometime later...<p>

The Neo Uzushiogakure Complex served as the nerve center of both Neo Uzushiogakure and of Whirlpool Country. Rather than a tower, like Konoha's Hokage Tower, the compound consisted of two buildings; the first housed the offices of the Uzukage and the Damiyo, and the second was known as the House of Sovereigns, which housed not only the council chambers, but it served as the main headquarters of both the Pekara Merchant House and of Neo Uzu's spy network.

Currently, Naruto was inside his office, signing off on several documents. Mostly minor disputes between shinobi and clans, nothing serious. Konan, on the other hand...

Naruto smirked inwardly at his cousin's wife. She loved the position of kage but **hated** the paperwork. Naruto took pity on her and taught her the Kage Bushin, which saved her the headache of paperwork. Naruto himself used the shadow clones on several occasions, when the paperwork that came with being the Damiyo became too much for him.

Leaning back in his chair, his eyes roamed over several photos that sat on his desk. The first was that of himself when he was younger and the old man that was like a grandfather to him, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Naruto was wearing the old man's Kage hat, while Sarutobi smiled broadly. The second was that of Hinata and himself on his wedding day in Spring Country over a decade earlier.

Naruto smiled at the memory. Turned out that Koyuki had made friends with a priestess from Demon Country named Shion, who conducted the ceremony at her request. Hinata had looked radiant in her dress with the flowers in her hair. It was a private ceremony, with only their closest friends and allies present.

The third picture was a family photo of the Namikaze family. Naruto and Hinata were seated, Naruto dressed in a white shirt, black vest, pants and boots, while Hinata was clad in a stunning black chesogam, and looking very regal in her pose. Then there were their two children. Fraternal twins, rather than being identical. They were both diametric opposites of each other from their personality down to their respective bloodlines.

Minato took after himself in both personality and in skill, as he was a prodigy in fuinjutsu and kenjutsu. He did not have the Bykaugan like his sister, but rather the Rinnegan. Fourteen, with spiky blond hair mimicking his father, with lively blue eyes. Fortunately, he did not take to wearing orange as he once did when he was just a genin, but rather dark colors, more suitable for a shinobi. His hitai-ate was around his head. He was also his heir to rule as Damiyo once he stepped down.

Hitomi took after Hinata in both appearance and quiet personality. Pale skin with short dark hair (think MGS4's Rosemary's hairdo), with the pupil-less lavender eyes that were a signature trait of the Hyuuga. Unlike her brother, she was a prodigy in taijutsu, and a natural in medical ninjitsu. Like her brother, her attire was also dark (i.e., Hinata's Shippuden uniform), her hitai-ate was around her left arm. She would be the next Fox Sage when it came time for Hinata to step down.

They were born a year after their marriage. When Naruto revived his mother's homeland, they were the first to enroll into the shinobi academy. At the age of ten, they both graduated. Three years later, they both received their Chuunin vests after successfully completing the Chuunin Exams.

It was then he noticed the scrolls. They had been dropped off earlier by a member of the Neo Uzu ANBU and Naruto had forgotten all about them as he focused on completing his paperwork. From the markings on the scroll, they came from the ANBU's Intelligence and Recon Division.

Naruto picked up the first scroll and opened it. The scroll was brief, but the message contained inside caught him off guard. It was from the spy network located near the bounty station near the Fire-Lightning border. It read:

**Rain invaded Fire Country. Fire Damiyo prisoner inside the Fire Capital.**

Naruto looked at the time and date. 'Seventy-two hours old. This happened during the Neo Uzu Festival,' he thought as he opened the second scroll. This one was more recent, as it was only a day old. This one was a bit more detailed, as it said that following the Fire Lord's capture, a crack team of Konoha elite jounin, led by their Rokudaime Hokage attempted to infiltrate the Fire Capital in order to free the Damiyo.

The mission was a failure, and most of the team that was sent in were killed. Naruto read the names of those who were killed in the rescue attempt. Inoichi Yamanaka...Shikaku Nara...Chouza Akamichi...Tsume Inuzuka...Kiba Inuzuka...Asuma Sarutobi...Kurenai Sarutobi...Shibi Aburame...Shino Aburame...Neji Hyuuga...Hiashi Hyuuga...Maito Gai...Rock Lee...and Kakashi Hatake. The Rokudaime, Sasuke Uchiha was grievously injured while fighting the head of Amegakure and had to be carried out by the surviving jounin.

Naruto leaned back in his seat. Even after nearly twenty years, his former village had still left a bad taste in his mouth. Konoha was full of traitors and backstabbers who had showed their true colors on that fateful day. No one – not even his former teammates – helped him. All because he was a jinchuuriki. The dream of earning the people's respect by becoming Hokage died that day, which lead to him and Hinata, along with their sole supporter, Anko Mitarashi to flee Konoha.

He summoned an ANBU who was outside and ordered him to bring in Anko, Konan, Yahiko, Hinata and Kitami to his office immediately.

* * *

><p>Minutes later...<p>

"So Ame made their move against Fire Country, huh?" Anko asked as Konan and Yahiko read the scrolls. "I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner. Konoha and Fire Country must have done something big to piss those two villages off."

"Given who's running the village now, I wouldn't be surprised," Hinata replied. "To say that Sasuke Uchiha is a tad unbalanced is to say Water Country is a bit wet."

"But he could be a puppet ruler," Konan said. "The Konoha Council holds most of the power, while the Hokage is nothing but a figurehead. It was a miracle that the Sandaime managed to keep you away from Danzou."

Naruto frowned. That meddling, one-eyed warhawk had been a thorn in his side. Whether it's trying to kidnap him when he was younger, or his attempt to kidnap his children for their bloodlines, he annoyed him to no end.

But Konan did have a point. "Hiruzen always did have a kind heart," Naruto admitted, smiling at the picture of himself and Old Man Sarutobi. "But you're right, Konan. One thing I learned about politics is that you say one thing, but mean another. When the old hag stepped down, the council must have basically handed the Uchiha the position of Hokage, thinking that he could be someone they could control."

"Only problem is that the Uchiha runt does not like to be controlled in one way or another," Kitami pointed out. "The Uchiha wants to be the ones in control, and does not share power with anybody." She smiled meanly. "A side effect of the Sharingan is that it makes the wielder batshit insane."

That got a good laugh out of the group. "You got a point there," Kitami said. "Look at Madara, Fugaku and Itachi. And it's not hereditary, as in Hatake's case."

"Any idea as to who is running Ame?" Konan asked.

Naruto chuckled darkly. "The great-grandson of Hanzou the Salamander – Rashoujin Hanzou. Took me a while to remember the name, but it clicked in my head. We met in Forest Country, remember? That and he showed up several times whenever Uzu holds the Taijutsu tournament."

Naruto remembered the man very well. A hulking mountain of muscle standing six-feet-eight with dark hair and a deep, menacing voice when angered. He was like them at a time – a nomad without a home. He was also a very skilled shinobi and proved it when he challenged Naruto in a test of skills. The battle ended in a draw, but Naruto respected the man's skill. Rashoujin also showed the same respect towards him as well and the two men left the field of battle.

Rashoujin was fortunately, not like his crazed great-grandfather. When Hanzou ended the wars and came out as Ame's new leader, he had his concerns. In the end, he decided to leave the older ninja alone.

"Hmm...Danzou fought in the Second Shinobi War alongside Old Man Sarutobi, the Snake, the Hag and the Perv. I also know that Danzou screwed Hanzou over and had him and most of his family killed," Naruto noted. "Danzou must have heard that Hanzou's descendant had ended the civil wars in Ame and seized control of the village and area, and saw him as a serious threat. So he must have dispatched his ROOT ANBU to Ame to assassinate Hanzou."

Konan immediately caught on what Naruto was saying. "Only problem is that the mission goes south, Hanzou finds out who is responsible, and wants the heads of those responsible. But he doesn't stop there. He wants to get even by razing Konoha to the ground, and Iwa wants in on the action."

"You sure about that?" Anko asked.

"If I was either Hanzou or Kurotsuchi, I would," Yahiko said. "The council need to know about this. And what about our shinobi? If Ame attack them, then we will have no other choice but to counterattack."

"I agree," Naruto replied. "Konan, send word to our shinobi abroad, have them pull back into Suna, Kumo and Haru. They are not to antagonize the ninja from Ame and Konoha in any form or fashion. Follow the Shinobi Rules of Engagement for this one. All shinobi assignments and missions are temporary suspended in the Fire Region until this mess is over."

"There's something else," Hinata said. "I'm sorry for getting off the subject, but I got to ask. Back when we worked as mercenary ninja, you killed the bounty hunters that came after us, my former clansmen, the ANBU and ROOT ANBU."

Naruto saw where this was going. Even Konan, Yahiko, Kitami and Anko were curious. "But you wondered why we spared our former senseis, our former teammates and the higher-ranking Jounin?" He smiled. "Easy, Hina-hime. As shinobi, we are told the many ways we can kill our enemies. Flesh can tear...bones can break. But to wound their pride, to crush their spirit like God's boot-heel is how you truly destroy them."

Yahiko nodded in understanding. "The disgrace of getting one's ass handed to them by the dead last and the worthless heir to the Hyuuga would definitely eat at their ego. And they have to live with the shame and disgrace that the two people who were written off and banished had spared their lives because they weren't worth killing is a fate worse than death. Aside from that, you make even more mistakes, up to the point where you will ultimately bring about your own destruction."

Anko approved. "Psychological warfare at its finest," the snake queen noted. "I like how you think, Naruto. Have I ever told you that?"

The Damiyo of Whirlpool chuckled. "Maybe, but I fail to remember. Go and assemble the council. Might as well tell them about this new development."

The room cleared out, with the exception of Kitami and Hinata. "Something on your mind?" Naruto asked.

"Konoha's been hit pretty hard ever since we left the village," Hinata noted. "They've lost every single alliance they had because of you. On top of that, they've been fending off attacks from rival villages, but without allies, their power and influence has been decreasing."

"There's something else I did not mention about the failed attempt to rescue the Fire Damiyo," Naruto said. "The attempt to rescue the Fire Lord resulted in several casualties. The original Ino-Shika-Cho trio...Asuma and Kurenai Sarutobi...your former father and cousin...the Inuzuka Matriarch and her son...the Aburame...Maito Gai and Rock Lee...and Hatake – all K.I.A."

Naruto noticed the expression on Hinata's face. It was a subtle one, but it soon disappeared, leaving a neutral, stoic expression. Hearing about the demise of her former father and cousin, her former team and sensei left her with mixed emotions, but she squashed them immediately.

"And the Uchiha?" Kitami asked.

"Blinded in both eyes and left a cripple," Naruto replied.

He had long since closed the chapter on his rivalry with the Uchiha, as he had proven to Sasuke and all of Konoha that he was stronger than their precious Uchiha. It wasn't because of the Rinnegan that he wielded either. While Sasuke had everything literally handed to him, Naruto had worked hard to get where he was at. And that hard work paid off when he revived his mother's homeland.

"You know that Konoha will more than likely ask for our help," Hinata said. "They always believed that you would defend your precious people in their darkest hour."

Naruto scoffed. "The people that are precious to me are here. Konoha chose a traitor over me. They did not see me as a human being, but rather the Nine-Tails reborn. Some of them hate the Uchiha runt, but they despise me even more. People I thought were my friends tried to kill me over the years. Teuchi and Ayane with their poisoned ramen...your own sensei with her genjutsu. Even Tsunade and Jiraiya wanted my death for their own selfish reasons."

The Damiyo of Whirlpool rose from his seat. "I will not aid Konoha in this mess of their own choosing. Even if they offer me the position of Hokage, I would not accept it. They made their choice. Now they have to live with it...which is not for very long."


	3. Part One

**Part One**

Snafu's Notes: Looks like I'm onto something here. Since this story will be short, I want to issue the following challenge: **The Whirlpool Taijutsu Challenge**, which is a side story of Naruto: Consequences. Basically, Naruto will host a Taijutsu tournament which is open to any and all ninja from the surrounding countries. Tsunade will send a recon unit to Whirlpool (consisting of Jiraiya, Kakashi, Asuma, Maito Gai, Rock Lee, Tenten, Neji, Ino and Sasuke), where they find out that Naruto is the Whirlpool Damiyo and Hinata is his wife. The events will ultimately lead to a confrontation with Sasuke and Naruto, with Naruto winning. PM me if you are interested for more info.

"_Karma's a real bitch. You'd be wise to remember that."_

- Michael Masters, Fallout 3

Konohagakure no Sato, Fire Country – two weeks later...

Nineteen years earlier, Konohagakure no Sato was in its prime. It was the strongest of the shinobi villages. With clans such as the Hyuuga and the Uchiha among their ranks, as well as the power of the Nine-Tails at its disposal, it was a village that commanded respect and was feared by its enemies.

Now, nineteen years after the Uchiha Retrieval Mission, the Leaf's power and influence has waned. It was no longer the strongest of the villages, as that position was taken by Neo Uzu.

The village itself was under attack by rival ninjas from the smaller villages, such as Smoke, Grass and Waterfall. Each attack was repelled by Konoha just barely, but it was starting to take a serious toll on the village. Parts of the village were still in ruins from repeated attacks. The village walls had numerous holes in them from exploding tags and animal summons.

And the war was just getting started.

Then, the leader of Amegakure came to the village.

* * *

><p>Tsunade Senju and the Konohagakure Council – what was left of it – looked down on the leader of Amegakure with great disdain. It wasn't the actual leader, but rather a shadow clone sent to Konoha from the Fire Capital, where he currently was at with his hostages, the Fire Lord and his family. With Sasuke Uchiha dead, Tsunade was forced to take back the mantle of Hokage.<p>

The leader of Amegakure was tall, standing nearly seven feet tall. Dark hair was tied into a ponytail, the eyes showing intensity, as well as hidden intelligence...and stark ruthlessness.

In the nineteen years since the conclusion of the Uchiha Retrieval Mission, Konoha had not recovered from the fallout following Uzumaki's banishment. She had no love for the Uchiha, and made it clear. But she despised Naruto even more, as she blamed him for Kushina's death.

Jiraiya was also present. The left side of his face was horribly scarred, a memento from Naruto. Using blood left over from his blood clone, Jiraiya had unsealed the Namikaze Estate...only to find the place empty of its wealth and jutsus. The chest loaded with exploding tags was something that even he didn't see coming.

"Your ninja disappoint me, Senju." His voice was deep and menacing. "Here, I was expecting a challenge from the village who fancied itself as the strongest of the Shinobi nations. If your precious Uchiha wasn't much of a challenge, then what is the point of talking?"

"You got a lot of nerve to show your face here," Tsunade shot back. "The will of fire is still strong in the Leaf."

"And yet, you have failed in your rescue attempt of the Fire Lord," Hanzou replied. "And there's not need for empty threats. We all know that Konoha is no longer the strongest of the shinobi villages. Your allies have long since forsaken you because of your past deeds. Tell me, Senju...did the Leaf ever got their alliances back with Suna? Perhaps Spring? Even Mist? I don't think so. You are alone in this matter."

Tsunade's voice died in her throat. It was true. Ever since Naruto's banishment, the Leaf and Fire Country had become a pariah state. In less than two decades, Konoha had lost its status as one of the five great villages to Neo Uzu.

"And even more worse," Haznou continued, twisting the knife, "despite repelling attempts of invasion by the smaller villages, they have been taking their toll. Your shinobi forces are down by what, half? Maybe more?"

"Konoha is still strong!" Hanabi Hyuuga, now the Hyuuga clan head following the death of her father shouted. He had died while attempting to rescue the Fire Damiyo, along with her sensei, Asuma Sarutobi. "We will fight you to the death!"

Hanzou tapped his chin as if in thought. "Strange...your father and cousin said the same thing before I killed them," he replied as if he was discussing the weather.

That did it for Hanabi. Byakugan ablaze, she tried to rush the older man, but was held back by the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and Hana Inuzuka.

"YOU MONSTER! YOU KILLED MY FATHER AND COUSIN! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Hanabi screamed.

Hanzou merely waved her off, as if she wasn't a threat. "You couldn't kill a cockroach in your state. But me, on the other hand...I could launch a full-scale, take-no-survivors assault on this cesspool of a village and with Iwa backing me up, Konoha will be nothing more than a footnote in the history books."

"But..." Jiraiya prodded as Hanabi collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably.

"But...I will give you a chance for you to save your village and live in what little dignity you have left," Hanzou continued.

"As I've said before, your ninja were not that decent in the field of battle. You have grown complacent in your supposed superiority and gotten lax. Your trump card – the Uchiha – has ultimately failed. Hatake...the Sarutobis...that crazy Taijutsu master and his protege...the Inuzuka...the original Ino-Shika-Cho trio...those who you have put your faith in...has failed you. Give me the challenge of a lifetime, and whether I win or lose, I will withdraw from Fire Country."

"We'll fight you, anytime and anywhere," Tsunade said.

"You misunderstood me, Senju," Hanzou replied. "The challenge is not here. I wish to fight the one the Leaf has forsaken in favor of the Uchiha."

Jiraiya's eyes went wide, as did Tsunade's, and everyone else in the room. "You mean...?" the old perv began.

"Yes," Hanzou replied. "This is not negotiable. I wish to fight the Leaf's greatest champion. The one who had defeated the Uchiha runt not once, but three times, and has stripped you and your comrades of that precious title that my great-grandfather bestowed upon you. I want the son of the Yondaime Hokage. Bring me Naruto Uzumaki."

* * *

><p>Office of the Hokage – later.<p>

Tsunade looked out of the window and into the village. Repeated attacks over the years had taken its toll upon the Leaf. Konoha was now reduced to half of its population and the village was in bad shape. Ever since Amegakure had declared war on Fire Country two weeks earlier, the minor villages had been launching guerrilla-style assaults on the village, weakening the Leaf even further.

The last battle was quite vicious. Grass ninja had infiltrated the Konoha hospital and leveled it. The hospital was transformed into a triage center. Sasuke Uchiha was being treated at the time by Shizune and Sakura Haruno when the attack came. Grass shinobi came charging in and let loose with explosive clones littered with exploding tags. The hospital was destroyed in the blast, killing all inside.

The Uchiha line, along with the Sharingan, was now extinct.

The civilian council was gone, having fled the village with their families, leaving only what remained of the shinobi council. Aside from Hanabi Hyuuga, who had taken her father's place on the council, there was Hana Inuzuka, now the last surviving member of the Inuzuka clan. Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka and Chouji Akamichi also sat on the council, replacing their fallen parents. The old guard, Danzou Shimura, Koharu Utatane and Honmura Mitokado, had died at the hands of Sasuke himself when it became clear that this whole mess was Danzou's fault.

After Rashoujin Hanzou left the village, Tsunade retreated back to her office. Seated behind the desk, sake bottle in hand, she was taking swig after swig of the drink. Ever since the deaths of Shizune and Sakura, she hadn't stopped crying and drinking. What remained of the civilian population mourned the death of the last Uchiha, some of them even blaming Naruto for their current predicament.

Tsunade chuckled bitterly. She blamed Naruto for many things. But this time, Naruto was innocent. She blamed him for Kushina's death, and blamed him for the downward spiral which led to Konoha's fall from grace and the revival of Whirlpool, leading to Neo Uzu's position as one of the great Shinobi villages.

But the one thing she hated him for most of all was stripping herself, Jiraiya and Orochimaru of their titles of Konoha's Legendary Sanin following the Wave Conflict two years ago.

Both Konoha and the Fire Lord thought that Whirlpool and Neo Uzu would self-destruct with the so-called 'Kyuubi brat' as its Damiyo. They even bet on Iwa declaring war on Whirlpool and eliminate the last Namikaze once and for all. But as always, pulling off the impossible was at the top of Naruto's already-long resume. He had grown even more powerful during his exile, and both him and his wife were a credible threat. Not even the remaining members of the Konoha 11, their senseis nor Danzou's ROOT could stop them. He even negotiated a non-aggression pact with Iwa and Earth Country, thus securing Whirlpool's safety. Iwa may had been war-happy, but even they would not attack Naruto, despite being Minato's son, given his automatic diplomatic status and that the Wind Damiyo had personally forgiven Naruto for the 'sins of the father.'

So when Konoha marched into Wave Country via the bridge, they planned on annexing the island to Fire Country and use it as a forward operations base to invade Whirlpool, they were surprised to find that the main village was already evacuated and that the Damiyo of Whirlpool was already there...with his wife...and with his Neo Uzu forces.

It was there, that Naruto threw down his challenge – Konoha's Legendary Sannin versus the Whirlpool of Damiyo. The prize was control of Wave Country. Tsunade had to admit that Naruto was out of his mind to present those terms. Should he win, Konoha will leave Wave, never to return and Wave will be under the protection of Whirlpool. Should Konoha win, then Whirlpool will concede defeat and withdraw from Wave, allowing Konoha to take over.

The three Sannin accepted the challenge, assuming that they would net an easy win.

They thought wrong.

Naruto was once known as the unpredictable ninja, the one who could make the impossible possible. It was something he took pride in, both as a warrior and as the Damiyo of Whirlpool. With his victories over his former cell, Madara Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha, the three Sannin could have been cautious.

Naruto took on the three Sanin, with the gathered Uzu and Konoha ninja watching. Tsunade remembered how Naruto had countered her chakra-powered super strength with his own, of how he destroyed the coffins of the first four Hokages when Orochimaru tried to unleash the Impure World Resurrection, and of how he countered Jiraiya's Rasengan with a senjutsu-powered Rasengan of his own.

In the end, their arrogance had led to their downfall. And Naruto had it planned as well. Aside from Neo Uzu and Konoha, the Kazekage and the Raikage were also present, as were the Spring Damiyo, who was shooting a movie in Wave when they heard about the invasion.

Despite the fact that it was a three-on-one battle, Naruto had the shadow clones, his fuinjutsu, the Hiraishin Jutsu and the Rinnegan. The three Sannin were defeated by the Whirlpool Damiyo, by the same person that they had each considered the dead last, and completely useless.

Summoning Gamakichi, Naruto stood on top of his head and made the following proclamation.

"_By right, Wave Country is now under the protection of Whirlpool Country and of Neo Uzushiogakure no Sato! Any further attempts of aggression towards the people of Wave will be seen as an act of war! To you...Jiraiya...Tsunade Senju...and Orochimaru...you were granted the title of Konohagakure's Legendary Sanin by Hanzou the Salamander as a result of surviving his onslaught. As that title was blessed upon you, so it can be taken away. As the Damiyo of Whirlpool..,**I strip you of your title of Legendary Sanin!**"_

"Lady Hokage."

The voice of Ino Yamanaka snapped Tsunade out of her thoughts.

She was not along, standing on either side of her were her teammates, Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akamichi. Jiraiya was behind the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, as was Tenten. The war had taken its toll on the four Elite Jounin, as Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji had lost their parents in the failed rescue attempt, while Tenten was the remaining survivor of Cell Nine. It had gotten worse from there, as Yoshino Nara committed suicide upon notification of her husband's death, and Chouji's mother had a fatal heart attack once it was known that Chouza was dead. Neither had children of their own, but took it upon themselves to raise Asuma and Kurenai's two children.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio were also present in the council chambers when Hanzou made his demand. They knew that Naruto would defend his precious people, but after being screwed over for the Uchiha and shunned and hunted by those he thought were his friends, even Shikamaru knew that the chances of Naruto coming to their aid were pretty slim.

"Anything from our former allies?" Tsunade asked. Earlier in the week, she had sent out word of Konoha's distress to Suna, Spring and even Kumo for aid.

"Bad news all around," Ino replied. "Suna flat-out refused to help, as did Spring. Mist also said no. Kumo is remaining neutral in this conflict. There is no way around it. We need Naruto."

"After how we screwed him over for the Uchiha and a piece of his inheritance?" Shikamaru butted in, knowing full well of Konoha's personal motives in banishing and their attempts to kill the former genin-turned-damiyo for his clan's wealth and jutsu. "Not to mention Hiashi and Danzou's attempts to kidnap their children? We'll be lucky if Naruto doesn't lead the charge into Konoha himself."

Jiraiya and Tsunade knew that the slacker was right. Neither person had no love for the Uchiha, but they disliked Naruto for their own reasons. It was because of those actions that Naruto saw their offenses as a betrayal to both his parents and to himself.

And Naruto never forgot those who slighted him and his family name.

Both generations of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had went after him, Hinata and Anko whilst the trio were working as ninja mercenaries. Both had failed. When it became known that Naruto himself had revived Whirlpool as its Damiyo, it was Shikaku and Shikamaru who reminded the Konoha Council and the Fire Lord that Naruto – much to their dismay – was protected under diplomatic status, as he was the recognized leader of a foreign nation, as was Hinata, since she was the wife of said Damiyo.

But it was Sasuke who pointed out that as their children were active shinobi, they were fair game, hence Danzou and Hiashi's attempts to capture both Minato and Hitomi; Minato for Danzou's ROOT ANBU because of his Rinnegan, and Hitomi for Hiashi in order to subjugate the girl to the Caged Bird Seal.

That attempt failed. Naruto saw each failure as giving a big middle finger to Konoha.

Tsunade didn't know who she hated more. Danzou was the one directly responsible for the mess that Konoha was currently in, along with Koharu and Honmura. All three were killed, along with a sizable number of the civilian council by Sasuke himself.

"There's the possibility that Naruto could forgive us," Ino suggested, grasping for straws.

"If it was the old Naruto, then yeah," the slacker replied. "People change in nearly twenty years. Especially those you screw over, Ino."

"Enough, both of you," Tsunade ordered. "We are in a state of emergency. If we don't do anything, then Konoha will be destroyed. As much as I hate to admit, we need that brat of a Damiyo if not to defend Konoha, but to at least force Hanzou to cease hostilities."

It was also a known fact that Whirlpool's Damiyo was well-respected, even to his enemies. Having survived being a missing-ninja longer than any known ninja tends to do wonders for your reputation. That, and playing a role in the Akatsuki's destruction was a nice bonus. Even the remaining members of the Konoha 11 saw that their village was better off with the Jinchuuriki. The civilian council thought otherwise, praising the now dead Sasuke for their prosperity when it was actually Naruto's doing.

"We don't have an exact time-table over when Hanzou and his allies will attack Konoha," Jiraiya said. The scarred super-pervert took his place alongside Tsunade. "Which is why you four will leave for Whirlpool immediately. By the time you will get there, the annual Taijutsu tournament that Whirlpool annually holds will commence. And by tradition, the Damiyo of Whirlpool **must** grant anyone who comes before him an audience."

That part was very much true. Ever since Naruto revived both Neo Uzu and Whirlpool, he hosted an annual Taijutsu tournament twice a year. It was an economical boom to Whirlpool and it showed goodwill on Whirlpool's behalf. As part of that tradition, the Damiyo of Whirlpool has to grant an audience to anyone who comes before him. Usually it's just a minor petition for favors and such.

"This is an SS-class mission of the utmost importance," Tsunade continued. "Go to Whirlpool Country, get a hold of that gaki and tell him of our situation. Tell him that if he sides with Konoha, then the village will recognize him as the legitimate heir to Minato Namikaze, and we will recognize Whirlpool and Neo Uzushiogakure. I don't care if we have to pay him reparations for the abuse he suffered. I want him on our side."

"You're not really going to do what you promised, are you?" Chouji asked.

"Of course not," Tsunade replied flatly. "I'm merely ensuring Konoha's survival."

'And Tsunade wonder why people avoid us like the plague,' Ino thought darkly, but kept silent.

Aside from favoring potential traitors over heroes, Konoha had developed a reputation for stabbing their clients in the back. It was a major reason why they were unable to gain any trading alliances with the neighboring villages and countries.

"You four will leave within the hour," Tsunade ordered. "Head for Azura and get Whirlpool on our side. Once Hanzou and Ame is dealt with, I will personally deal with Naruto."

Ino shook her head. The conflict in Wave had left her even more bitter. When Jiraiya lost the backing of the toads, she too lost the support of the slugs, who also threatened to destroy Konoha should she try and summon them again. What made Tsunade see red was that the Slug Contract was passed on to Gaara's wife, who had studied under Hinata. Matsuri would go on to build a medic-ninja program in Suna following Neo Uzu's example.

But it was Naruto stripping the Legendary Sanin of their title was the final straw. Orochimaru tried to attack him from behind, only to lose his head as a result.

Shikamaru sighed and accepted the mission scroll. He had talked with his teammates and even he knew that Konoha was in its last days. But as long as he wore the hitai-ate of the Leaf, he will do his duty. Ino and Chouji both felt the same way. It was after their parents had confessed their role in the conspiracy to rob Naruto of his inheritance and legacy that up until that fateful mission to rescue the Fire Lord that their relationships with their parents have been strained. They disliked Naruto for being the jinchuuriki, but they were not so crazy about having a virtual traitor as Hokage and a second traitor return to Konoha with so much as a slap on a wrist, despite having killed Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Once the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Tenten were gone, Jiraiya turned to Tsunade. "You think Naruto will go for helping us? We're not exactly his two favorite people in the world, you know."

"The gaki will help us," Tsunade replied firmly. "He would die for this village, protect it with his dying breath."

In the coming days, she would find out how wrong she was.

For the four ninja assigned to the task, it would be the last time they would see Tsunade alive again.

* * *

><p>Neo Uzushiogakure, Whirlpool Country – one day later.<p>

Training Ground No.12

Naruto had kept close tabs on the conflict on the mainland. His network of informants and spies proved to be even more capable and more efficient than Jiraiya's own spy network. He even knew the perverted bastard's informants by name. The most recent news he shared with Hinata concerning Konoha showed its weakness.

Sasuke Uchiha was dead. Sakura Haruno was dead.

Like Hinata, Naruto was the sole surviving member of Cell Seven.

Sasuke had the dubious honor of being the Hokage with the shortest term in history. Even more shorter than his father's reign. Amegakure knew where and how to strike, and used the minor villages to its advantage, having them strike at Konoha, depleting its forces, even further. Naruto approved.

With the annual Taijutsu tournament approaching, he was expecting less people to show due to the conflict. The Whirlpool Taijutsu Tournament was held in the town of North Azura on the northern island. The island was also known as a popular vacation hotspot for ninja and civilian alike. Even A had settled there after stepping down as Raikage, allowing Yugito Nii to assume the position of Raikage. The Taijutsu tournament was Naruto's brainchild, and it brought the best of the best from the Shinobi nations. For one week, North Whirlpool was a literal battleground as ninja fought each other. For one week, rivalries and hatred was put aside as ninjas fought for a hefty prize and the title of champion. No bloodlines, no weapons, no jutsu. Your hands and feet were the weapons.

Naruto himself fought in the tournament, only because he was challenged by Sasuke Uchiha, who had competed in the tournament in its inaugural year. The Whirlpool of Damiyo took pleasure in stomping the Uchiha prince down. It also sent out the message that the Whirlpool Damiyo was someone that should not be taken lightly in the field of combat.

At the moment, the Damiyo of Whirlpool was sparring with his former pupils, while Yahiko, Konan and Hinata watched. When Naruto reformed Whirlpool, Maru (formerly Konohamaru) Sarutobi, Moegi and Udon were Suna Chuunin, having left Konoha with Gaara in the aftermath of the Uchiha Retrieval Mission. Not even Asuma threatening to disown Maru should he leave did not change his mind. Asuma followed through with his threat, in which Maru responded that Asuma was dead to him, and that he was a disgrace to the memory of the Sandaime.

When word came to Team Misfits that their Boss was now the Damiyo of Whirlpool, the approached Gaara and asked to resign in order to emigrate to Whirlpool. Gaara, knowing of Naruto's friendship with the younger ninja, allowed them to leave with his blessings. Upon arriving in Whirlpool, they were the first of many Chuunin-level ninja to arrive, Naruto opening citizenship to bloodline refugees, nomad, civilian and samurai alike.

Naruto took the three under his wing. In the eight years that followed, Maru, Moegi and Udon still called themselves Team Misfits, but they were one of the best teams Neo Uzu had to offer. Like his grandfather, Maru was an expert in Ninjitsu. Combined that with the Monkey King Summon, and people saw the young Sarutobi as the Second Coming of 'The Professor.' Moegi turned out to be skilled in medic ninjitsu, and she learned under Hinata and Kitami. Udon was the tactician of the trio, his keen mind combined with his skills in Taijutsu made him a fan favorite in the Taijutsu tournaments.

Maru had married a local girl from Wave Country who worked in the Pekara Merchant House, and was a father himself. His sons were enrolled in the Neo Uzu Academy. Moegi and Udon both married each other and settled in New Uzu as well. Their child was also in the Shinobi Academy.

Dressed in his combat attire (i.e., black Konoha-style flak vest, cargo pants and sandals), and armed with his O-katana, Naruto twisted through the Misfits' attacks, occasionally smacking them with his sheathed sword. It wasn't painful, but it definitely stung.

**SMACK. SMACK.** A blow to Maru's shin, causing him to yelp, followed by a smack to the head.

"Dead," Naruto deadpanned.

**SMACK. **A blow to Moegi's side. Had Naruto impaled her, she would have bled to death.

"Dead."

**SMACK. **The older man swept Udon off his feet, followed by a double tap to the chest and head.

"Very dead," Naruto finished.

Even acting as one, the Misfits could not gain the upper hand on the Damiyo. They were capable of giving him a run for his money, but Naruto was the superior ninja.

"We almost had you that time, Boss," Maru complained. "One more time!"

Naruto chuckled. "Maybe next time, Sarutobi."

Before Maru could object, a Uzu ANBU appeared via shunshin, along with a second person. "Lord Damiyo. You have a visitor," the jounin reported.

Naruto saw that it was Rashoujin Hanzou. Frowning slightly, he wondered why he was here when he should be in Fire Country. Then it hit him. He forgot that Hanzou also knew the shadow clones jutsu. He must have sent this copy to Neo Uzu to get his take on the invasion.

Hanzou bowed respectfully to Naruto. Sure Hanzou was older, but Naruto was higher on the status ladder than he was. Unlike the Salamander, Hanzou knew where to give honor and respect when it was due. Fortunately for Naruto, he was one of the few people that Hanzou genuinely respected.

But Hanzou knew of Naruto's connections to Konoha. If Naruto decided to run interference, then his plans of razing Konoha to the ground would be in vain.

"Lord Damiyo," Hanzou greeted.

"Rashoujin Hanzou," Naruto replied, bowing back. "I've heard that you've been busy."

"That I have. I wish to have a word with you, Lord Damiyo."

Naruto turned and walked down the path leading to the village. Hanzou fell in step beside him, while Team Misfits and the Uzu ANBU tagged behing at a respectable pace.

"So you know about my occupation of the Fire Capital," Hanzou began. "Do you know I plan on invading Konoha and razing it to the ground?"

"I've heard."

"Iwagakure wants to get in on the action, but has concerns facing you and Neo Uzu should you fight on Konoha's behalf."

"If I decided to join in and help defend Konoha, then that would violate the non-aggression pact I made with Iwa and Earth Country," Naruto replied. "The last thing I want or need is to be remembered for starting a Shinobi War."

Hanzou nodded in understanding. "But you still haven't answered my question."

"I'm not interfering in your quarrel," Naruto replied. "If I was younger...if I still wore the symbol of the Leaf, then yeah. But after their betrayal and their repeated attempts to kill me, my wife and their antics concerning my children. I could have easily destroyed them myself by allowing the Nine-Tails to go to town. But I didn't. I decided to spare them, to let them know that the dead last could just as easily crush them in ways that Orochimaru and Madara could dream of."

"You spared them so that they could live with the disgrace," Hanzou surmised. He knew that Naruto was no coward. He knew how to pick his battles, and where and how to strike for maximum damage, which was how he was able to destroy the Akatsuki. Hanzou approved. "Not bad. Most ninja tend to overlook battle tactics. I am honestly impressed, Damiyo Namikaze. Glad to see that your years as Damiyo has not dulled your senses."

"Konoha is alone. Fire Country is alone. I also have ninja in the surrounding countries on assignment," Naruto said.

Hanzou nodded in understanding. "As long as they do not attack my ninja, I will show the same courtesy. And your allies?"

"They will not interfere, and at the same time, will not fight on your behalf," Naruto replied. "I've already discussed this with the others. I will not aid Konoha in any shape, form of fashion. I will not fight them, as I have nothing else to prove to them...but I will not save them either."

Hanzou smiled. That was the answer that he was looking for. Naruto had just confirmed to him that he was more than willing to send Konoha to a hell of their own making.

"I thank you for your time, Lord Damiyo. I will take my leave," Hanzou said, bowing, to which Naruto responded with a nod of his head. The shadow clone then dispersed.

* * *

><p>The Fire Capital – Fire Damiyo's Residence.<p>

The memories of the shadow clone were transferred to the real Rashoujin Hanzou, who was currently in talks with the Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi. The leader of Iwa had her concerns when an Ame envoy came to her with a most interesting offer – the destruction of Konohagakure no Sato.

Kurotsuchi noticed Hanzou pausing in mid-speech, before a smile spread across his face. "Good news from Neo Uzu?" she asked.

"Very," Hanzou replied. "Damiyo Namikaze made it clear that he nor his allies will not aid Konoha. The Leaf's fate is sealed. So...about our alliance?"

Kurotsuchi nodded. "You have the full support of Iwagakure no Sato. When do you plan on attacking Konoha?"

"Three weeks. That drunk of a Hokage actually think that Damiyo Namikaze will help them. As they sit, praying and hoping that their former jinchuuriki will help them, we will strike. I've heard that they've sent four of their ninja to Neo Uzu to ask for help. By the time they return to Konoha, they will find it burned to the ground."

Kurotsuchi nodded. "One more thing. What's your take on Damiyo Namikaze?"

Hanzou thought about it for a moment. "I respect him. He's been through so much growing up, being the container to the most powerful of the bijuu. It takes a lot of willpower not to unleash hell upon a village that spits on you, yet was willing to defend to his dying day. Any weaker man or woman would have either killed himself or went mad with such a burden."

Kurotsuchi could understand. After all, Iwa had two Jinchuuriki of their own: Roshi and Han. Out of the pair, only Roshi was still alive, as Han was killed by the Akatsuki. Like A, Roshi found a home in North Whirlpool, spending his life in peace. As long as Roshi did not don the hitai-ate with the Whirlpool insignia, she left him alone.

"Follow me," Hanzou said. "I have an appointment with the Fire Lord."

"So...the idea of sending Konoha ninja to Neo Uzu to try and get Damiyo Namikaze on their side was just a ruse, right?"

"Of course. You really think that Konoha would actually succeed in the task that I gave them. The Yondaime's son hate Konoha as much as you do. By the time our forces are in place, they will see that it was all for naught. I promise on the bones of the original Hanzou the Salamander...Konoha will be destroyed. By having the Fire Lord sign this scroll, it shows that he was more than willing to throw the village to the wolves in order to save his own life, thus demonizing him even more in the eyes of the public."

* * *

><p>The past nineteen years had not aged the Fire Lord well, nor was he able to appease his counterparts in Spring, Wind and Water. After all, he too was one of the chief conspirators in orchestrating Uzumaki's banishment for a sizable cut of his family's wealth.<p>

Too bad Naruto had taken it with him when he left Konoha.

His crimes made public, he had lost face with the other Damiyos. Even Earth Country and Iron Country called him out on his arrogance in denying the son of the village's hero his legacy. When Whirlpool was reformed under the same boy he had ordered to be killed, he was the only one to denounce him, not recognizing his authority as Whirlpool Damiyo. But since Whirlpool was allied with three different countries, invasion would result in Konoha's destruction.

And now, here he was, a prisoner inside his palace. Ame Ninja had the capital locked down tight following Konoha's attempt to rescue him several weeks earlier. He was allowed to move within his palace, but was always under heavy guard. His Guardian Ninja were of no help, either, as they were slain protecting him. His wife had succumbed to a heart attack during the invasion.

And to make matters worse, Hanzou forced him to watch as he and his Ame ninja slaughtered the Konoha ninja. He watched as the rescue force, 200 strong, were cut down. He watched as Asuma Sarutobi died while protecting his wife. He watched as Kurenai Sarutobi was pinned to the wall, her body riddled with kunai. Kakashi Hatake, the famed copy-ninja, had fallen to Hanzou himself, his neck broken. And Sasuke Uchiha...both eyes were ripped out and crushed under Hanzou's heel. The final indignity was Hanzou snapping the Rokudaime's back like a twig. Only ten of the Konoha ninja survived and made their retreat, taking the Uchiha with them. Hanzou ordered the remaining bodies to be incinerated.

He was inside his study, a single Ame guard was his companion. The doors to the study opened and in walked Rashoujin Hanzou and Kurotsuchi.

"General Hanzou!" the Ame ninja bowed.

Hanzou ignored him as he walked towards his prisoner. Pulling up a chair, he sat down in front of the Fire Lord's desk. "Ready to talk?" the Ame warlord asked.

The Fire Lord sighed. Giving Danzou the green light to attack him was definitely a bad idea. "What do you want?" he asked.

"To discuss the instrument of surrender. We'll see how much your integrity weighs against the lives of yourself and of your family. I know you gave Shimura the order to try and kill me. I also know that you ordered him to kill my great-grandfather, and his supporters. So rather than kill you in retaliation, I'm here to offer terms. These are non-negotiable, and I am merely offering you these out of courtesy. First, you will pay a one-time indemnity to both villages of Rain and Stone."

"A bribe, you mean," the Fire Damiyo shot back.

"Call it what you like, but you will pay what you owe," Hanzou replied.

Again the Fire Lord had no choice. His life and that of his family's was at stake. That and paying off both villages could all but ruin him. "Done. Anything else?"

"Yes. The destruction of Konohagakure no Sato."

"Wh-what? Destroy Konoha? It already has been through enough with the loss of their Hokage, who was the last of the Uchiha! And from what you already told me, the majority of their Jounin and Chuunin were killed in repeated assaults on the village! Destroy Konoha? We were the first of the nations to have a village! Please...spare the village."

Hanzou's face was grim. "Suit yourself." Without breaking eye contact, he addressed the Ame jounin, his voice ice cold. "Retrieve the Fire Lord's family – his mistress, children and grandchildren, all of them...and show them the same courtesy as he showed to my family."

The Fire Lord's eyes went wide at the realization of Hanzou's order. He was going to execute his entire family! "WAIT! Wait..."

Hanzou cocked an eyebrow, one hand raised, stopping the Ame jounin in his tracks. He had the Fire Lord right where he wanted him. Producing a scroll, he unrolled it and placed it in front of the Fire Lord. The Fire Lord looked at the scroll. It was titled **TERMS OF SURRENDER**. It was already signed and sealed by both Hanzou and Kurotsuchi, but was missing his signature.

"As you can see, my terms are harsh, but fair," Hanzou said. "I have no desire for territory, nor to make Fire Country a protectorate, nor does Iwa or Earth Country. But the terms are clear. Fire Country will no longer have a shinobi village. In exchange, we will leave you in peace. Konoha will be burned to the ground, its ninja from chuunin to jounin will be slaughtered should they resist. Any ninja who surrender to our forces will have their chakra sealed and sent into exile. Any genin will be taken by Iwa and Ame back to their respective villages, their minds will be wiped clean and we will raise them as our own ninja. The civilians will not be harmed. All jutsu will be destroyed. Any clan's wealth that is left behind will be paid as part of the indemnity. Since the Uchiha clan is now extinct, its wealth will be used as part of that indemnity. So what's it going to be? The lives of your family for one village who has dug its own grave? Or I execute your family as you watch – with you being the last to go – and the Rain and Stone will crush Konoha regardless. Make your choice now."

With a trembling hand, the Fire Lord reached for his pen. But Hanzou stopped him.

"Ah-ah-ah," Hanzou chided.

Before the Fire Lord could say anything, Hanzou grabbed his hand and jammed the pen into his palm, causing the old man to yelp out in pain.

"Now you may sign," Hanzou said.

With a second cry of pain, the Fire Lord yanked out the pen and signed the scroll in his own blood. The scroll reacted to the signature, making it binding as the Fire Lord applied his hanko seal onto the document, making it legal.

With that action, the Fire Lord had officially sealed Konoha's fate.


	4. Part Two

_**Part Two**_

"_I have taught you many ways to kill a mortal, Kratos. Flesh that burn...bones that break. But to break a man's spirit, is to truly destroy him!"_

- Ares, God of War

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Tenten had left Konoha that very night. They could have taken a boat down river to the coast, but Ame and Iwa ninja patrolled the river, forcing them to take the long way around, which meant heading North, traveling incognito as not to attract any unwanted attention from unfriendly ninja. Their destination was a small port in Lightning Country, where a ship would take them to Azura.

The trip had taken them two weeks just to arrive at Azura. This was Ino and Tenten's second time returning to Azura, as was Tenten's, since they were part of the original recon team along with Neji Hyuuga, Sakura Haruno, Maito Gai, Rock Lee, Asuma Sarutobi and Sasuke Uchiha when Whirlpool decided to host a Taijutsu tournament. It was also there where the big revelation was revealed that the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki was the Damiyo of Whirlpool and the former Hyuuga heiress was his wife.

Of course Sasuke went through the tournament, and like an idiot, called out the Whirlpool Damiyo, declaring his superiority over him as an Uchiha Elite, despite having lost to him twice. Normally, Naruto would remain on the sidelines watching, but decided an object lesson in humility and humiliation was in order. Sasuke did not stand a chance as Naruto decimated the Uchiha prince, proving to all those present that he was the wrong Damiyo to piss off. Things went from bad to worse when he activated his Curse Seal in violation of the rules.

Naruto's response? A chakra-powered open palm strike to the chest (ala Wesker's Cobra Strike) which sent him to the tournament walls and a lifetime ban of showing up in Whirlpool, on pain of death. The Uchiha's ego once again gave Konoha yet another black eye.

Aside from the confrontation with Naruto and Sasuke, Neji confronted Hinata once again, while she was with her and Naruto's children. Ino and Asuma had witnessed the resulting beatdown from the sidelines. Apparently, Neji had forgotten that attacking the wife of a Damiyo was a very bad thing...**especially** after threatening harm on her children.

Ino shook her head. The beatdown she had given Neji the first time around when they were missing-ninja was bad enough, but Hell hath no fury like a woman protecting her children. Neji was sent to the Neo Uzu jails for the duration of the tournament for the attempted assault on the Whirlpool Damiyo's wife and children...after Hinata had beaten him within an inch of his life. Like Sasuke, he too got nailed with a lifetime ban for his attack on the Damiyo's wife.

And now, they were on a boat, heading for Azura, where the Namikaze family would be for the duration of the Whirlpool Taijutsu tournament, with the fate of Konoha hanging in the balance.

Tenten was out on deck. That's where Ino found her, hunched over the railing, puking her guts out. Ever since the start of the mission, Tenten had been puking every morning. Ino thought she was sick, but it was Shikamaru who figured it out.

"You really are a troublesome teammate," Shikamaru had said. "Tenten's pregnant. Neji's the father."

Ignoring the catcalls of the other male ninja, Ino approached Tenten. "You okay?"

"Not really," Tenten replied.

Ino bit her lip. "How long?"

"Excuse me?"

"Shikamaru figured it out. How long have you been pregnant?"

"Three weeks. I only found out after the hospital blew up. I think Neji knew."

Tenten was one of the ten survivors of the failed rescue attempt of the Fire Lord. It was Neji who had found out from using his Bykaugan that they just walked right into an ambush.

Then the killing began.

Cell Nine remained together with their flamboyant sensei and were delivering major losses to the Ame forces. Then Hanzou stepped in, and according to Tenten's report, things went to shit fast.

Maito Gai was the first to fall. Then Rock Lee. Tenten would have been next, but Neji attacked Hanzou from behind, and earned a broken neck – Neji's head twisted back a complete 180 degrees – for the effort. His uncle was the next person to fall at Hanzou's hands. Kurenai was pinned to the wall with countless kunai and Asuma was hacked apart by katana-wielding Ame ninja.

Shino and Shibi were incinerated using Fire Jutsu. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had fallen one by one. With the deaths of the elder trio, they were unable to reconcile with their children. Kakashi and Sasuke double-teamed Hanzou. Tenten saw that match. Hatake lost his head, and Sasuke had his back broken and eyes gouged out. Five of the Konoha Jounin fought Hanzou en masse, two of them being Tsume and Kiba Inuzuka, already injured, allowing the other nine to retreat with Sasuke. Hanzou decided to let them go, rather than to kill them all.

"Tenten...I am so sorry..." Ino whispered.

"How am I going to explain this to our child?" Tenten said, looking down at her stomach, which was covered up by her Jounin vest. It was flat now, but in a couple of months...

"You'll have to tell them the truth," Ino said. "That their father died like a true shinobi." Pausing for a moment, Ino removed the hitai-ate from her pocket. Looking into the metal piece with the insignia of the Lead carved into it, the blonde kunoichi ran her thumb over the symbol. "I was so happy when I received this. But now...I can see now that Shikamaru was right. Konoha's days are numbered."

"But if we get Naruto on our side, then we might have a chance," the weaponsmaster pointed out.

"Even if we did get Naruto on our side, Konoha is still doomed. Shikamaru explained it to Chouji and I. We lost too many high-ranking ninja ever since this war started. Our chuunin are as green as they come and we're basically the last of the Jounin. Konoha is done."

"It's all his fault," Tenten said. "That damned Kyuubi bastard."

"No. He's not the Nine-Tails reborn. He's a jinchuuriki – the human sacrifice," Ino explained. "While I despise Naruto for being that, he is no demon. Between him and the Uchiha, I would rather deal with Naruto."

"But didn't most of the Jounin – including your father – tried to kill him on separate occasions?"

"Didn't you?"

Tenten remained silent after that. She did tried her hardest to kill both him and Hinata when they were both missing-ninja. She wasn't expecting Naruto to beat her at her own game by becoming a master swordsman. She was just following orders from Tsunade and the Fire Lord. The only person who truly looked out for him was the Sandaime.

"You think that Naruto would forgive us? After all the crap we've put him through?" Tenten asked.

"You mean the beatings, the repeated assassination attempts, and being betrayed? I seriously doubt that. I wasn't too ga-ga over him, but after Sasuke's attempted defection to Orochimaru, I wasn't too nuts about him either. Naruto had the power to destroy Konoha, but kept it in check. Sasuke was more than willing to kill in order to gain power. So in a way, I kinda respect Naruto and wouldn't blame him if he refused to help us."

* * *

><p>In Azura, Naruto sneezed.<p>

"You okay?" Hinata asked.

Naruto nodded. I think someone is talking about me."

* * *

><p>Town of Azura, North Whirlpool Country – the following day.<p>

Preparations were underway for the Whirlpool Taijutsu tournament. Ninja from the major shinobi nations and even the minor ones were starting to show up in preparation for the tournament. The town of Azura, a trading hub and popular tourist hot spot, would be full of people for the next three weeks. Even long after the tournament would end, ninja would remain for several more days before leaving for their respective villages. Nestled at the base of the Lahja Mountains, Azura was also known for its hot springs, to which several hot springs resorts were built to accommodate demand.

Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji and Tenten – all dressed incognito – walked down the town's main street. Civilians and ninja were checking out the sights, the restaurants and food stands were nearly packed. Their fake IDs had allowed them entry into Azura without any fuss. Ninjas who were traditional rivals and enemies were all gathered to see who was the strongest.

'You would have loved this, Lee...Neji...,' Tenten thought sadly.

Of course her deceased teammates were present at the Whirlpool Taijutsu tournament in its first year. That was eight years ago. Since then Sasuke's actions in the Whirlpool Tournament and Neji's actions in his attempted assault on Hinata and her children, Konoha was not welcome in Whirlpool, given their blatant disregard for the Damiyo's diplomatic immunity status.

* * *

><p>At the same time, ahead of the Konoha team...<p>

The wife of the Whirlpool Damiyo knew how to turn heads, be it in her ninja uniform or in her chesogam dresses (the Chinese-style dresses you see Leifang fight in).

Currently, she was dressed in the latter. One thing about Hinata Namikaze was that she **hated **kimonos and yukatas, stemming from her time when she was forced to dress up in those as the heiress. It was while in Spring Country in the four years following their exile from Fire Country and Konoha that Koyuki took her to a dress shop in which they specialized in chesogam dresses.

She instantly fell in love with the dresses.

Hair done up in a bun and secured in place with a pair of lacquered chopsticks, she walked the streets, turning plenty of male heads as she walked by. The chesogam was black with red trim, complete with a red rose motif, and showed plenty of toned leg. It was a known fact that the Fox Sage's beauty was matched with her talent, and any attempts on her life was a one-way ticket to the hospital, or worse.

Speaking of their children, they were back in Neo Uzu, with Kitami watching them for the duration of the tournament.

Her husband, the Damiyo of Whirlpool was in step beside her, dressed in his formal attire – white shirt, black longcoat, vest pants and boots, Hinata's arm looped around his own. Unlike most Damiyos, Naruto could relate to the ninja, as he was still one regardless of being of noble birth. He knew what it was like to start out with nothing, survive backstabbers and betrayals left and right. Ninja who knew of his exploits – be it as a Konoha ninja to the Damiyo of Whirlpool – good and bad, respected him. The Damiyos also respected him for his abilities to rebuild a ruined nation into one of the most powerful in the elemental countries.

What the populace didn't know was that the Damiyo of Whirlpool and his wife were in fact, Shadow Clones.

Unknown to the four Konoha ninja, Naruto and Hinata were already onto them, hence the kage bushin that was leading them to Naruto and Hinata's Azura residence. Since they had arrived the previous night, they were spotted by Anko, who in turn notified Naruto and Hinata. Originally, Naruto had thought that they would not ask for help, but upon finding out that they were here, he told Hinata that she was permitted one 'I-told-you-so.'

His mind was already made up in regards to Konoha. This was their own mess, and he did not want to get involved. But since they made the trip, might as well not disappoint them with an audience.

* * *

><p>Damiyo's Summer Residence.<p>

Shikamaru suspected that something was up. This was too easy as they followed the Damiyo and his wife through the streets, down a private walkway, and into their Azura residence. From the look of things, the home was designed like the destroyed Namikaze residence back in Konoha, only smaller. It was complete with a training hall and a lodge. Shikamaru and the others noticed that there were no guards, but suspected that Naruto didn't need any, as he was a fuinjutsu master.

Shikamaru's concerns were then verified as they followed the former Konoha ninja into the compound's courtyard, where they stopped, turned around and faced them.

**POP.**

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, "Shadow clones."

That was all he managed to say before he froze in mid-step, as did his teammates.

Shikamaru's reason? The fact that there was a katana blade resting up against his jugular. Turning his eyes to the side, it was a less-than-amused Damiyo of Whirlpool which held the blade at his throat. His teammates were no better off. Yahiko and two extra ANBU held both Chouji and Tenten at sword-point, while Hinata's Chakra Scalpel was ready to sever Ino's carotid artery.

"Shikamaru Nara...I'd expected better from you," Naruto drawled, not moving his blade from the lazy Nara's throat.

"You knew...you knew that we were here." It was a statement, rather than a question from the last Nara.

"What business does Konoha want with me?" Naruto asked.

"Could you please lower your weapons?" Shikamaru asked. "We come in peace."

"For your sake, I hope so," Naruto replied as he lowered his katana, while ordering Yahiko and the ANBU to do the same. Hinata dispersed her Chakra Scalpel and took her place at her husband's side. On Naruto's command, the Neo Uzu ANBU dispersed, but remained in the shadows. Sheathing his weapon but keeping his grip on the scabbard, Naruto and Hinata stood within double-arm's reach of his former teammates.

Shikamaru slowly went down to one knee, with the other three following suit. This was the hardest thing that any of the Konoha ninja could ever do – ask the dead last, now one of the most powerful men in the shinobi world for help. Had it been Sasuke, he would have scoffed at the thought of asking the dobe for help.

"Lord Damiyo," Shikamaru began, "on behalf of the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade Senju and of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, we come seeking your aid. Amegakure no Sato has invaded Fire Country. The Fire Damiyo has been taken hostage and is being held prisoner inside his home. The Fire Capital has been occupied by Ame forces."

"Why come to me?" Naruto demanded, already knowing the answer. "Why not send a rescue force to the Capital and free the Damiyo? And what happened to the Rokudaime? Why is the old hag Hokage again?"

"We tried...and failed," Tenten replied, her voice cracking. "Two hundred jounin-level Shinobi...nearly slaughtered down to the last man. I was there when the ambush was sprung. Most of the Konoha 11 was wiped out, as well as several clan heads." She looked at Hinata. "Your father and cousin were among the casualties, Lady Hinata."

"You are mistaken," Hinata replied coldly. "I have no father. I have no cousin."

"How could you be so cold?" Tenten demanded, rising to her feet. "They were your family! Neji was my teammate!"

"You seem to forget that my father wanted to place the Caged Bird Seal on my forehead because I wasn't the perfect little Hyuuga he wanted," Hinata snarled. "And you also forgot that Neji tried to kill me out of spite during the Chuunin Exams? Have you forgotten about that incident? I sure as hell didn't."

Naruto placed one hand on Hinata's shoulder. She calmed down. "What about the Uchiha? I heard he was elected Rokudaime."

"Sasuke's dead," Chouza deadpanned. "His eyes were ripped out and his back broken by Rashoujin Hanzou. When Kakashi tried to intervene, Hanzou killed him. Tenten and eight others took Sasuke back to Konoha, where the village was already under repeated attacks by the smaller villages. One of the attacks was directed at the hospital, where it was converted into a triage center. Grass ninja, armed with exploding clones and exploding tags...leveled the entire building. Sasuke Uchiha...Shizune...Sakura Haruno...all dead."

"..." Naruto remained silent.

"I will admit that Konoha has been hit pretty hard ever since you were banished," Shikamaru continued. "Ever since Ame invaded, the Leaf has been under constant attack. We manage to fight off the attacks, but our numbers are being depleted. Our Jounin forces are down to less than 300, and our chuunin have not known battle until now. Sooner or later, we will no longer have the numbers to fight back."

"What does this have to do with me, Nara?" Naruto asked, obviously irritated.

Shikamaru decided not to tell Naruto of Hanzou's demands. He instead told him of what Tsunade wanted him to tell Naruto. "The Godaime has promised to acknowledge you as the heir to the Namikaze clan, offer you clan status in Konohagakure no Sato and all of your past crimes will be pardoned."

Naruto looked at Shikamaru long and hard, before replying, "You lie."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, 'You lie,' Nara," Naruto repeated, killer intent radiating from his body, affecting the four ninja. "Even without the Rinnegan, I can tell that you are lying. Please don't lie to me, as it insults my integrity as Damiyo. The old hag never agreed to those terms you presented to me, didn't she?"

Silence, as Nara looked down.

"I thought so," Naruto said as his eyes reverted back to normal. "You should follow village politics more, Nara. As Damiyo of Whirlpool, I have automatic diplomatic status, as does Hinata, which means the entries inside the Konoha Bingo Book are null and void. Second, clan status in Konoha means nothing to me, as I know that is also a lie. Sasuke and Neji found that out the hard way when they tried to attack Hinata and myself."

'That's for sure,' Ino and Tenten thought. Ino remembered the confrontation between the former Cell Seven Teammates on the eve of the Whirlpool Taijutsu tournament years earlier. Sasuke had not been impressed with Naruto's rise as the Damiyo of Whirlpool, and still claimed superiority over the former jinchuuriki. Naruto simply got under his skin by saying that if he could not beat him, then killing Itachi was out of the question.

That remark made Sasuke furious.

"_Dobe! Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?" _Sasuke had demanded.

Naruto's response was cold enough to send chills down Ino's spine. _"Do you?"_he responded. _"Look at where I am, Uchiha...and look at you. You claim superiority as an Uchiha Elite, yet you can't beat me. You couldn't beat me at the Valley of the End even with your Cursed Seal, nor could you beat me in Tea Country despite your Sharingan. The fact that you are still alive is because of my grace. That, and your inability of trying to kill your elder brother amuses me. Don't make me think I made a mistake, Uchiha, because I have absolutely no problem in ending the Uchiha line once and for all."_

Ino spoke up. "We received a visit from Rashoujin Hanzou. He said that he would spare Konoha if you fight him one-on-one in single combat. Win or lose, he will spare Fire Country. That's why we're here."

Almost immediately, upon hearing that, Naruto knew what Hanzou was planning. 'So that's his game...lowering Konoha's guard by giving them an impossible task to complete, then strike when they least expect it. By the time these four return to Fire Country, Konoha will already be under attack by Ame and Iwa forces.'

"No."

"No?" Ino repeated.

"No," Naruto repeated. "Why should I fight for Konoha when it is well-documented that they fail to keep their end of the bargain our of pure spite? I should know. I fought in the invasion when Suna and Oto invaded Konoha, stopped Gaara from destroying the town...and was denied Chuunin. I brought that drunken hag back so she could be Godaime Hokage...and was denied Chuunin."

Now, Naruto was starting to get angry. "And last...I brought your damned Uchiha back and what do I get? Banishment, with your parents and the Fire Lord trying to steal my legacy! What was rightfully mine from the beginning!"

The four ninja winced at Naruto's voice.

"Oh, but there's more," Naruto continued. "So much more. Old Man Sarutobi tried his best to protect me, that I will admit, but he could not stop the abuse."

Ino and the others watched as Naruto's eyes changed from a vibrant blue to a light purple with a ripple-like pattern. Hinata stepped to the side, while Yahiko and the others backed away. Whenever Naruto unleashed the power of the Rinnegan, bad things happened to those who caused his ire, which is rare, but oh was it a sight to behold.

Now the four Konoha ninjas were on their knees, unable to move as they stared helplessly into the eyes of their former teammate. They watched as Naruto began to perform handsigns. "You want to know suffering...you haven't seen what I've seen...experienced what I experienced...I will draw you into my mind...into my memories...give you a taste of what I have experienced back in Konohagakure..."

It was a jutsu that Naruto had created along with Kitami's aid. It was similar to that of the Mind Transfer Jutsu that the Yamanaka was famous for. However, instead of Naruto transferring his mind over to the four ninja, he instead pulled them into his consciousness...

Into his memories.

* * *

><p>Within Naruto's subconsciousness...<p>

Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji and Tenten had heard the reports of Naruto being abused. But now, they were seeing it through his eyes as he was beaten mercilessly by the villagers and ninja of Konoha. Naruto's shouts of mercy were immediately drowned out with cries of "Demon! Monster! Kyuubi bastard! Kill the Demon! For the Yondaime!"

And things just got worse from there.

Naruto made sure that the ninja could see everything, feel everything, know what it was like to be an outcast, to be spit upon. There was no escape as Naruto opened up memories thought to have been suppressed, but resurfaced thanks to the Nine-Tails unlocking the mental blocks that were put in place. To drive his point home, Naruto showed them the numerous assassination attempts made not only by their senseis, but also by their **parents**.

"_We must kill him before my father finds out that something is wrong!" Asuma Sarutobi, slashing and punching with his chakra-laced trench knives._

"_It is very troublesome, but a demon like you is better off dead." Shikaku Nara, as he tried to strangle the young Naruto with his own shadow._

"_It is most un-youthful in letting a demon live amongst us! I will avenge the Yondaime and kill this beast!" Maito Gai, unleashing brutal Taijutsu strikes on Naruto._

"_This little bastard killed Kushina! He must die!" Tsume Inuzuka, unleashing her Gatsuga._

"_You fools. Breaking his bones will leave a trace! I will kill him by destroying his mind." Inoichi Yamanaka, attempting to fry Naruto's brain._

"_Drive the demon to madness. Only then will he fall." Kurenai Yuuhi as her red eyes glowed with unleashing her most powerful genjutsu on the helpless boy._

"_The brat is not the son of the Yondaime." Hiashi Hyuuga, as he nearly succeeded in killing Naruto with his Jyuuken._

"_It is imperative that the boy must die for Konoha's sake." Shibi Aburame, as his bugs tried to destroy Naruto's chakra system._

"_In dealing with the Kyuubi spawn, there is no such thing as overkill." Chouza Akamichi, as one oversized fist sent Naruto flying into a wall._

"_He killed Minato-sensei and his wife. For that, he will suffer." Kakashi Hatake, as he unleashed torrents of flame upon the boy, ignoring his screams._

"_The boy is to be banished. He caused the death of Kushina. For that, I will never forgive him." Tsunade Senju, on the eve of Naruto's banishment._

"_So we are in agreement? Once he is dead, all we need is a sample of his blood to get past the seals Minato set up surrounding the Namikaze Estate. Afterward, we will split everything inside from Jutsus to cash. Since Kushina was the former Damiyo of Whirlpool, she was loaded!" Jiraiya, also on the eve of Naruto's banishment._

"_So long as you remember to give me my cut for allowing this. Once this is over and done with, destroy all records of the Kyuubi boy. Birth certificate, ninja registration. Everything. It will be as if he never existed." The Fire Lord._

"_What about the Uchiha?" Danzou._

"_He will be cleared of all charges. I think teaching him some of Uzu's jutsu and giving him the Namikaze Estate to recover will be more of a gesture to convince him to stay. Especially if we teach him the Hiraishin." Again, the Fire Lord._

Just as quickly it began, it was over.

* * *

><p>The Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Tenten found themselves back in Azura, freed from Naruto's mind. As expected, Tenten threw up, while Ino looked catatonic. Chouji was visibly shaken, while Shikamaru whispered, "Troublesome...so very troublesome," over and over again.<p>

"Now do you understand?" Naruto demanded, Rinnegan still active, longcoat fluttering in the breeze. "They tried to erase the abuse that they did...but having the furball sealed inside your gut does has its advantages. I found out the abuse the elder Jounin did to me while I was in Spring Country. When the elder Jounin came after me...I repaid their treachery in kind. You thought I was being cruel. I called it justice."

"Gai-sensei...why?" Tenten moaned, as she felt her torso burn with the phantom pain of Gai's brutal attacks. Her impression of her sensei had dropped a lot when he was more than willing to try and kill an innocent boy.

"Asuma...my God...what have you done? Dad...why did you do this?" Ino whispered as she sobbed softly.

"..." Chouji was silent.

"Troublesome. Dad, you fool..." Shikamaru muttered as the full totality of what they experienced had hit them.

And at last, they understand why Naruto would not help them. They thought it was out of pure spite. But he was justified in not helping them. Justified in wanting to see the Leaf Village burn to the ground.

"This is a mess of Konoha's doing," Naruto continued as his eyes returned to normal. "This is the mess of the Fire Lord. My word is final. I will not come to Konoha's aid. The Will of Fire is gone, extinguished by the hands of the corrupt villagers and of the shinobi council. Had you decided to honor my father's request, I would be more than willing to fight for Konoha. But I refuse to fight for a village who will reward a traitor over a hero."

"What about us?" Shikamaru asked.

"Killing you would be pointless, so your lives are yours still," the Damiyo replied. "But I want you gone by tomorrow morning. I have eyes and ears all over Azura, and I will know." Summoning the ANBU, he ordered them to take them back to their hotel for the night. Come the morning, they would be on the first ship back to Lightning Country.

Shikamaru and Chouji helped the two catatonic women out of the compound, assisted by the Neo Uzu ANBU.

* * *

><p>The Azura Inn – later.<p>

Shock was the predominant expression at the revelations which Naruto had revealed to the four Konoha ninja. For a long time, they had been kept in the dark about the abuse and about the events leading up to his banishment. Shikamaru knew some of the details, but Ino thought that the lazy Nara was yanking her chain.

They were wrong on all counts.

Naruto was banished from Konoha merely for doing his job, which was to bring back the Uchiha. Banished because of the bigotry he faced as a Jinchuuriki, out of blatant favortism towards the last Uchiha, and because of greed, plain and simple.

What was worse was that their senseis and their **parents** all had a hand in either trying to break Naruto or to outright kill him.

Shikamaru looked outside the window. The inn overlooked the sea. He also knew that there were Uzu ANBU nearby, on Naruto's orders. They were not prisoners, and were free to leave, but further contact with the Whirlpool Damiyo was forbidden.

Shikamaru reached inside his vest and pulled out a picture of Asuma and of his team. The picture was taken shortly after completing the shinobi academy. Such a stark contrast from seeing their laid back, chain-smoking sensei to the man who tried to kill Naruto as a child.

The pain that Asuma had done to Naruto was directed at him. Shikamaru felt every slice, every broken bone that Asuma had given him.

Without giving it a single thought, he gripped the picture and ripped it into several pieces.

Tomorrow, the team would leave in the morning. Upon returning to Konoha, they were going to have a long chat with Tsunade and Jiraiya, war be damned. Shikamaru was starting to see, as well as his teammates and Tenten, that Konoha had a lot of skeletons in their closet aside from the Uchiha Massacre and the Hyuuga-Kumo Incident.

Shikamaru looked at his hitai-ate. Despite his lazy nature, he was a Konoha shinobi through and through. Now, his faith in the Leaf was visibly shaken. The idea of abandoning Konoha was starting to get even more attractive after what he had just witnessed. He also knew that the others were starting to feel the same way.

And if they fail to get the answers they deserved, then there will be four more missing-ninja added to the Bingo Book.

* * *

><p>The following morning...<p>

Final preparations were made in the town of Azura, as the Whirlpool Taijutsu tournament was starting the next day.

Inside the Damiyo's Residence, Naruto and Hinata were chatting over breakfast when it was interrupted by the arrival of an Neo Uzu ANBU. He was not alone, as there was an Ame courier ninja beside him.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, annoyed that his time with his wife was being interrupted.

"Forgive me, Lord Damiyo, but there is someone from Ame here to see you," the ANBU replied.

The courier ninja bowed to the Damiyo and his wife, before producing a scroll. "Lord Namikaze...Lady Namikaze...General Hanzou sends his regards."

After handing over the scroll, the Ame ninja and the Uzu ANBU left the couple alone. After making sure that the scroll was not booby-trapped, Naruto opened it. Inside was a copy of the surrender document signed by the Fire Lord, along with a small note attached to the the document.

Naruto scanned the note before passing both items over to Hinata.

_**To Damiyo Namikaze:**_

_**By the time this document reaches you, my forces and Iwa will have launched our assault upon Konohagakure. The terms of surrender makes everything legal and binding. Just thought you would like to know in case you wish to piss on the ashes of the Leaf once we are done here.**_

_**With respect, General Rashoujin Hattori Hanzou.**_


	5. Part Three

_**Part Three**_

Snafu's Notes: The song used as Konoha is destroyed is fitting. Fee free to listen to it as you read Konoha's destruction. I would love to see the Consequences series on the TVTropes page. And check out my profile for a new challenge.

Find the Street Fighter reference within the chapter. After this, will be the epilogue.

About three weeks after the Konoha envoy had left for Azura...

The tension was very high in Konohagakure no Sato. Their salvation lied in the one they had tried to kill. There were no civilians left in the city. Only ninja. After the last attack, which had destroyed the market district, the remaining civilians were evacuated from the city and sent to other villages in Fire Country. The village was locked down tight.

At the moment, it was nearly dawn. Hanabi and the Hyuuga were patrolling the main road leading to the massive village gates. The Jounin ninja, now reduced to less than half of its strength patrolled the city streets. The ROOT ANBU – now under Tsunade's control following the death of Sasuke Uchiha – patrolled the streets alongside the remaining Jounin. There were no Chuunin-level ninja, as Tsunade had express-promoted them to Jounin.

Things looked grim, but Tsunade and Jiraiya held out hope that Naruto's love for Konoha would save them.

If they only knew...

As the run rose over Fire Country, Hanabi noticed the scroll that was attached to the gate. A quick scan of her Bykaugan showed that was not booby-trapped with exploding tags or poison of any kind. Flagging down a passing ANBU, she ordered her to take the scroll to the Hokage Tower.

* * *

><p>Hokage Tower<p>

Jiraiya was summoned to the office of the Hokage minutes after the scroll was delivered. He found Tsunade behind the desk, the color drained from her face, the scroll opened.

"What is it?" the old pervert asked.

With shaky hands, Tsunade handed over the scroll to her former partner. Soon, Jiraiya's expression matched that of the busty Hokage.

What had been delivered to Konoha's doorstep was a copy of the Terms of Surrender, signed weeks earlier by the Fire Lord, Rahoujin Hanzou and Kurotsuchi.

"The Fire Lord sold us out," Tsunade whispered. "We're considered expendable."

**KABOOM!**

The embattled Godaime and her former partner turned to the window, where the massive explosion had literally blasted the door off its hinges, the massive doors flipping end over end like a pair of oversized shurikens, crushing any Konoha ninja that failed to get out of its way.

Tsunade knew that Hanabi and the majority of the main branch Hyuuga were stationed at the front gates when it blew. She had hoped that the Hyuuga clan head's death was painless.

Ninja came charging in, weapons drawn, wearing the symbols of Rain and Stone.

As the Konoha ninja engaged the invading forces, both former Sanin came to a horrifying realization. Hanzou's demand of a match with Naruto was a decoy to allow his forces and those of the Stone to move in for the kill. Hanzou's gambit had paid off in spades. He knew of Naruto and of his past as a Konoha ninja and had used that against them while forcing the Fire Lord to hand over Konoha to be destroyed by his and Iwa's forces.

Naruto wasn't coming. The Leaf was done for.

The Siege of Konoha has begun.

"Naruto was never going to help us, wasn't he?" Tsunade asked as she and Jiraiya watched from the Hokage Tower the deadly battle that was taking place.

"I don't think so," the perverted hermit replied. "Never thought he would. Should have know that Hanzou would use Naruto against us. We fell for it. Then again, after what we tried to do to him, we're not exactly his favorite people now, aren't we?"

Tsunade nodded. "So this is it, then? The Leaf goes out not with a whimper, but with a bang?"

"Seems that way. Wish I could die in my bed. But dying in battle isn't too bad. Let's make the Shinigami wait a while longer."

Tsunade nodded. If Konoha was doomed, might as well make Hanzou and Kurotsuchi earn their prize. If Konoha was to fall, then they would take as many enemy ninja with them as they can.

* * *

><p>One week later...<p>

The Siege of Konoha was indeed brutal. Tsunade and Jiraiya made good on their promise. Iwa had expected a quick victory, but Hanzou knew better. Konoha's back was to the wall and despite inflicting casualties, Konohagakure stubbornly fought on.

On the third day of the siege, Tsunade Senju, the Godaime Hokage, granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, grand-niece of Tobirama Senju, was killed in battle. But not before seriously injuring Kurotsuchi with her super-strength. With their leader injured in battle, Iwa retreated. Hanzou, deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, decided to pull back his forces as well.

Jiraiya, however, did not get through this battle unscathed. The poisons used by Rashoujin's great-grandfather were very deadly, and even now they were no exception. A well-aimed senbon needle laced with the Salamander's poison nailed Jiraiya in the neck, a parting gift from Hanzou before pulling his forces back.

Two days after Tsunade's death, Jiraiya received word through his spy network that Ame and Iwa were now planning to launch a leave-no-survivors assault on the village. Hanzou's previous offer of mercy was now suspended. There would be no mercy.

Jiraiya thanked his informant, then issued his final order: his information network was to be disbanded. After all, why would a dead man need an information network?

Office of the Hokage – shortly before the fall...

Jiraiya knew he didn't have long. The remaining Konoha ninja had taken up positions in the area surrounding the Hokage Tower and in Danzou's underground ROOT headquarters. The protection seals kept Ame and Iwa's forces out, but it wouldn't be long before those seals gave out.

The poison in his veins was taking its toll. Either he would die fighting or he would succumb to the poison. From the look of things, it would be the latter.

His vision cleared long enough to see the unhappy faces of Shikamaru Nara, Tenten, Ino Yamanaka and Chouji Akamichi.

_I know, I know I've let you down_

_I've been a fool to myself_

_I thought I could _

_Live for no one else_

"You're late," Jiraiya said.

"Where's Tsunade?" Ino demanded.

"Dead. Killed in action just the other day. It's over. Konoha is finished. Hanzou's demand to fighting Naruto was just a ploy to let our guard down."

"He refused, by the way," Tenten said. "After what we learned, I really don't blame him."

_But now through all the hurt and pain_

_Its time for me to respect_

_The ones you love_

_Mean more than anything_

Now Jiraiya's interest was piqued. He leaned forward, ignoring the pain in his body. "How much did he tell you?"

"Everything. He showed us...showed us the abuse and the assassination attempts on his life by the villagers...our senseis...even our parents," Ino seethed.

"And I'm guessing that he told you the truth about the Uchiha Mission, right?"

The four ninja nodded.

* * *

><p>Outside the ruined village, Rashoujin Hanzou and the interim Tsuchikage watched as the seals keeping them outside Konoha were starting to fail.<p>

_So with sadness in my heart_

_I feel the best thing I could do_

_Is end it all_

_And leave forever_

One of Hanzou's lieutenants approached the Ame warlord. "Your orders, General Hanzou?"

"Leave no survivors," Hanzou ordered. "Show no mercy. Destroy any jutsu you find. Anything else is fair game."

At that moment, the seals sputtered, then gave out. Hanzou and Kurotsuchi – with her torso bandaged, and one arm in a sling – gave the order to move out.

* * *

><p>Back inside the office...<p>

"Why? Why did you do this to Naruto?" Ino demanded, while Chouji cracked his knuckles and Tenten had several kunai in her hands. "Why did you lie to us about the banishment orders? If anything, Sasuke should have been banished!"

"For the record, I wasn't crazy about the Uchiha like the council and the Fire Lord was," Jiraiya said, deciding to come clean for once in his life. "The Fire Lord, Danzou and those two elder councilmen, and the Civilian side of the council worshiped the ground that the Uchiha walked on. But we were both united in our hatred for Naruto for our own selfish reasons. His father was my student, a prodigy in the fuinjutsu arts. I should have been happy that he surpassed me in skill. Instead, I became jealous at his success, especially when he created the Hiraishin."

_What's done is done, it feels so bad_

_What once was happy now is sad_

_I'll never love again_

_My world is ending_

Jiraiya paused for a moment to cough into a handkerchief. Shikamaru noticed that there were specks of blood on the soft cloth. Outside, the forces of General Hanzou and Kurotsuchi began to slaughter the remaining shinobi forces, before being delayed by a second set of seals. Here, three squads of ROOT ANBU delayed them, with orders to kill as many of the enemy ninja as they could before they were brought down.

"I thought that I had some more to teach Minato," Jiraiya continued. "But there was nothing else. Then he married Kushina, who was trained here in Konoha, but was the daughter of the Whirlpool Damiyo. I knew that Kushina was very wealthy, given her status as royalty, and combined her wealth with the Namikaze wealth, they were the richest couple in Konoha. When Naruto was to be banished, I saw my chance...to get a piece of the wealth that was stored inside the estates. I acted purely out of greed."

"Why did Tsunade go along with the banishment? Why did she blame Naruto for her death?" Ino demanded.

"Tsunade and Kushina were very close. Tsunade did not have any children and saw Kushina as a surrogate daughter. Tsunade did not know that Kushina was the jinchuuriki to the Nine-Tails, as was her grandmother was before Kushina, and as Naruto after his mother. Tsunade once told me that 'Naruto took his first breath by taking Kushina's last.' She had opted to kill Naruto herself when we retrieved her after the Sandaime's death, but she stayed her hand."

_I wish that I could turn back time_

_Cause now the guilt is all mine_

_Can't live without the trust from the those you love_

Explosions were heard outside, as the explosive traps were triggered, having been laid there by what remained of the ANBU, decimating the Iwa ninja. Jiraiya and Tsunade had seen that the main city streets were booby-trapped in the same fashion. If Konoha was to fall, then Hanzou and Kurotsuchi would have to work for it.

"Our friends died because of the elders' ignorance!" Ino shouted. "You took the Yondaime's legacy and tried to butcher it! Konoha lost everything because of your hatred towards Naruto!"

"I know, and for that, I deserve no sympathy," Jiraiya said. "Minato entrusted Naruto to the both of us, as we were both his godparents." Off their shocked looks, the dying man continued. "But...Tsunade and I wanted nothing to do with him, and we left him at the mercy of the people. Iruka's friendship towards Naruto was false...Teuchi and Ayame tried to poison him to death. Hell, I even tossed him into a ravine. Naruto summoning the Boss Toad was a fluke."

* * *

><p>The remaining ROOT ANBU, led by Sai, confronted Rashoujin Hanzou.<p>

_I know we can't forget the past_

_You cant forget love and pride_

_Because of that its killing me inside_

As the Iwa and Ame forces engaged the emotionless elite of the 'Ne,' Sai fought Rashoujin Hanzou, forcing the Ame warlord on the offensive with his ink jutsus.

* * *

><p>Inside the office...<p>

"I confess...that I betrayed the Sandaime...my student...as much as I hate to admit, Naruto held the ideals that Hashirama Senju once had – the Will of Fire," Jiraiya said. He smiled sadly. "Just like his father. He would have brought Konoha to greatness without force. I will tell you all something. It was the Uchiha – particularly Madara Uchiha – who unleashed the Nine-Tails in a frenzied state upon Konohagakure. It was Fugaku Uchiha who plotted a coup d'etat. And it was Itachi Uchiha who slaughtered the Uchiha clan not to test his limits, but to stop a civil war. I let my ego and my pride cloud my judgment. Tsunade let her hatred cloud hers. Naruto was not the Nine-Tailed Fox in a human body. He was just an innocent boy in all of this mess."

Sai's body fell to the ground, his neck broken. Rashoujin Hanzou turned from his men, who were finishing off the remaining members of the ROOT ANBU. He looked at his prize – the Hokage Tower, which sat in the distance. The seals were a hindrance, but he knew that Konoha was finished.

He planned to thoroughly clean out the village of anything that wasn't nailed down. Then he would destroy all of its prized jutsu, be it elemental or clan techniques. The Hokage Tower he would save for last.

* * *

><p>Inside the office...<p>

"You four are the last of the Rookie Eleven," Jiraiya said. "You can stay, fight and die...or you can make a new life for yourselves. Like I said, Konoha is finished. The seals will only keep Ame and Iwa out for so long. As acting Hokage...I relieve you four of your duties. Get out while you still can. It's too late for me. But it's not too late for you. Hanzou's forces are coming down the main street, which means you have a thirty-minute window to get whatever you need from your homes. Use the hidden route inside the graveyard behind the Shodaime's grave to escape."

_It all returns to nothing, it all comes_

_tumbling down, tumbling down,_

_tumbling down,_

"We can't just leave you here!" Chouji objected.

"You can and you will," Jiraiya said as he opened retrieved a chest from under the table and opened it. Inside were exploding tags. Chakra-powered exploding tags. More than enough to level the Hokage Tower.

"Something I picked up from Naruto," Jiraiya said, remembering the booby-trapped chest inside the Namikaze Estates. He tossed Shikamaru a storage scroll. "That should be enough for the four of you to start over. I think 20 million ryo should do the trick. You're almost out of time. Get out of here." He smiled. "Good luck."

Shikamaru nodded. Then he and the others left Jiraiya to his fate.

Once they were gone, Jiraiya activated a second set of seals. Exploding seals, with a ten-second delay. He turned to the window and watched as Iwa and Ame made their way down the main streets, block by block. It wouldn't be long now. Turning back to the desk, he found Tsunade's sake stash inside a drawer.

Shrugging his shoulders, he decided on one last drink. Pulling out the bottle of the strong drink, he found several photos at the bottom of the drawer. Jiraiya pulled them out as he undid the cork. Since there were no drinking cups, he decided to just knock the whole bottle back.

_It all returns to nothing, I just keep_

_Letting me down, letting me down,_

_Letting me down_

The first picture was of himself, Tsunade and Orochimaru, back when they were genin, along with a younger Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"I fucked up big time, sensei," Jiraiya whispered. "Konoha fucked up big time when it came to Naruto. If we only treated him better instead of treating him like he was a pariah...Konoha would not be in its final moments. You would be proud of him, sensei. He would have made a great Hokage, had he was given the chance. You saw that in him. He was unlike the Uchiha, thinking he could get something for nothing. He doesn't deserve our forgiveness."

* * *

><p>At the residential district, Shikamaru, Ino, Tenten and Chouza went to work. They cleaned out their homes of any cash and of family jutsu scrols. Tenten made a side trip to the Hyuuga compound, where there were several remaining Cadet Branch ninja pilfering the compound.<p>

It was there that Tenten learned of Hanabi's ultimate fate. Knowing well that she was pregnant with Neji's child, the Branch clan handed the weaponsmaster copies of the Jyuuken scrolls, and told her to leave. Tenten nodded in thanks and left the remaining ninja to their devices, but not before warning them that they had less than 30 minutes to get out before Hanzou's forces breached the seals guarding the residential districts.

_In my heart of hearts,_

_I know that I could never love again_

_I've lost everything_

Once they were prepared, they met at the grave of the Shodaime. Their hitai-ates and flak vests were left behind inside their homes, which they set fire to in order to deny Hanzou and Iwa anything of value. Knapsacks slung over their shoulders, they were ready to go.

"So...this is it," Shikamaru said. "Never thought that Konoha would see its last days."

"Where do we go now?" Ino asked.

"Somewhere neutral. Somewhere with plenty of food," Chouji said as he finished off some chips.

_Everything_

_That matters to me,_

_Matters in this world_

"Chouji's right about being somewhere neutral," Ino said. "We're the last of what Konoha should have been. We need to stick together. We'll head for Sea Country and rest up. Then we'll decide on our next move."

With that, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Chouji Akamichi, and Tenten made their final escape from Konohagakure no Sato. They never looked back.

* * *

><p>Inside the Hokage's office, Jiraiya found pictures of Minato and Kushina – on their wedding day, and at home while Kushina was pregnant, along with pictures of Naruto with an elder Sarutobi, and of Minato and himself.<p>

"Tsunade still blames Naruto for Kushina's death, Minato," Jiraiya confessed, the sake now gone. He was fading, and fading fast. "It wasn't the gaki's fault. If my pride and jealousy of you being a better seal master did not get to me, then I would have been at Naruto's side when the banishment orders came down. But you would have been proud of him, both you and Kushina. He's not Hokage, but the Damiyo of Whirlpool. He revived her homeland. I wasn't worth the ground he walked on. Your son was better."

_I wish that I could turn back time_

_Cause now all the guilt is mine_

_Can't live without_

_The trust from those you love_

Outside the shattered window, he could hear Hanzou shouting orders. "Secure the tower! I know Jiraiya is still alive somewhere! Bring him to me!"

As the ninja charged into the tower, Jiraiya let loose a small smile. With this final act, he would deny Rashoujin Hanzou and Kurotsuchi the pleasure of displaying his corpse for all to see.

"Wish I could go out in style," he murmured as he held the photos close, his heart slowing down. "I was hoping in bed with two half-naked ladies. Oh well. At least I could take out some more ninja before I go." He sighed. "If only we treated Naruto better...Minato...Kushina...Sensei...Naruto...I am so sorry..."

With those words on his lips, Jiraiya breathed his last breath, and died.

_I know we can't forget the past_

_you can't forget love and pride_

_because of that, its killing me inside_

Not long after Jiraiya's death, Ame ninja burst into the room. All they found was one dead (former) sanin, clutching several photos to his chest, and a closed chest resting on the desk.

Thinking that there was something valuable inside the chest, the three Ame ninja opened it...

...and the exploding tags and the seals Jiraiya had set around the office and all over the Hokage Tower activated.

**KA-BOOOM!**

Outside there was a flash of white, which was followed by the explosion, killing any Ame and Iwa ninja that were inside. The tower the collapsed onto itself, leaving nothing but debris and rubble.

The blast wave threw the invading ninja back, Rashoujin included. The great-grandson of the Salamander rose to his feet, and looked at the burning ruins of the Hokage Tower.

'So...Jiriaya was there after all,' Hanzou thought. 'Well played, old man. But in the end futile.'

_It all returns to nothing, it all comes_

_Tumbling down, tumbling down,_

_Tumbling down_

Indeed, it was futile. Upon Jiraiya's death, the seals had failed, allowing full access to the village.

Turning to the Ame and Iwa ninja, he declared victory. "The Leaf has been crushed! Take whatever spoils you can carry! Destroy any jutsu you find! Konohagakure no Sato is finished!"

With that, the looting began.

* * *

><p>The Fire Capital – Fire Damiyo's Residence<p>

With the majority of the occupational forces down in Konoha, the Fire Damiyo decided to act.

After one final visit of his family, he designated his eldest son as his successor before locking himself inside his office. The Fire Lord sat behind his desk, looking over the document which he had signed, turning over Konoha to slaughter. Hanzou was thorough. The civilians who had escaped Konoha were forbidden to leave Fire Country in order to start over. In effect, they were like him, prisoners inside their own homeland.

_It all returns to nothing, I just keep_

_Letting me down, letting me down,_

_Letting me down_

He sat back in his chair, the tanto in his hands. He had hidden it inside his office, and the Ame forces had failed to find it. The blade was unsheathed, already stained with his blood, having sliced his wrists.

The burden of selling out his integrity in exchange for his family's lives had proven too much for him to bear. He had hoped with his final sacrifice, that he would at least find some redemption in the life thereafter.

_It all returns to nothing, it all comes_

_tumbling down, tumbling down,_

_tumbling down_

He would be found dead inside his office an hour later by his Ame guards.

* * *

><p>Ruins of Konohagakure no Sato – dawn.<p>

Konohagakure no Sato, once the strongest of the Shinobi villages, was in flames.

Rashoujin Hanzou watched the city burn with an impassive look in his eyes. The city had been picked clean, its jutsu destroyed. He even decimated the remaining ROOT ANBU in Danzou's underground headquarters by flooding the underground base with the salamander's poison, following by destroying all exits with several exploding tags.

Kurotsuchi and her Iwa ninja had long since left the battlefield, taking with them the spoils of war. Out of respect, did Hanzou ordered the graveyard not to be touched.

The siege was over, but he had to admit that Konoha made him work for the victory. Over a quarter of Ame's ninja force had been killed, and it would take some time to recover.

One of his lieutenants approached him. "General Hanzou, we received word that four Konoha ninja has escaped the village."

"Only four?" Hanzou repeated, disinterested.

"Yes, General. Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Chouji Akamichi and Tenten. Your orders?"

Hanzou thought long and hard for a moment. "They are of no consequence to us. Our mission is accomplished. Consider this a mercy to the remnants. However, should they try to kill me, I will be more than willing to send them to meet their family and friends."

"Sir!" Another ninja appeared. "Word from the Fire Capital! The Fire Lord was found in his office. He's dead, General."

Hanzou nodded. "Withdraw our forces from the capital. We are returning to Amegakure."

_It all returns to nothing, I just keep_

_Letting me down, letting me down,_

_Letting me down_

* * *

><p>By the end of the week, the news would spread throughout the Elemental Countries. Konoha had fallen to Ame and Iwa.<p>

Most of the people's reactions outside of Fire Country came up to just two words: "Good riddance."

The destruction of Konoha had not left a power vacuum as expected. Konoha had long since lost its status as the powerful of the Shinobi villages. Neo Uzushiogakure was now the most powerful, Suna and Iwa tied for second place. The people of Fire Country – their pride was broken with the loss of their village and of their wealth. Even Wave Country under Gato's rule was better off than Fire Country.

The old saying was indeed true. Pride does come before the fall.

* * *

><p>Neo Uzushiogakure – three days after Konoha's destruction<p>

The message from the ANBU was brief, yet satisfying.

**Konohagakure destroyed. Fire Lord committed suicide. Tsunade Senju – confirmed K.I.A. Jiraiya – confirmed K.I.A. Hanabi Hyuuga – confirmed K.I.A. Nara, Yamanaka, Akamichi and Tenten confirmed missing. Amegakure and Iwagakure forces returned back to their villages.**

Naruto read it once again before setting the slip of paper down. Konoha was gone. Out of the entire Shinobi force, only four known survivors. The assault had taken place during the Whirlpool Taijutsu Tournament. In a way, it was justice. A long time coming, but it was justice.

He shared the news with Hinata as they sat over lunch inside his office within the Neo Uzu Compound.

"It's finally over," Hinata said. "Konoha is gone."

Naruto nodded. He could have destroyed Konoha any time. But he chose not to, deciding to let Konoha dig their own grave.

"For Fire Country, the destruction of the Leaf and the suicide of their leader will probably be the most important day of their lives," Naruto mused.

"Really?" his wife rebuked. "So what was it for the both of us?"

Naruto smiled at his wife. "For us...it was Tuesday."

Hinata chuckled and the couple resumed eating. "Maru asked me to relay a message to you. He wants to lead a group of ninja to the ruins to recover the ashes of the first four Hokages."

Naruto grunted. "The idea does have merit. They deserve a better resting place than in the ruins of a soon-to-be forgotten city. Tell Maru that I will accompany him. We will leave for Konoha by the end of the week. Besides...I always wanted to piss on the ashes of the Leaf."

Hinata shook her head. "Honestly...why do I even bother with you?" she said in a teasing tone.

"Because you've been nuts over me since our genin days..."

"Whatever. I'll tell Moegi, and she will relay the message to Maru."


	6. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

Snafu's Notes: The song used in the previous chapter is from **The End of Evangelion**, called Kom, Susser Tod (Come Sweet Death). This was the song that was playing in the Third Impact scene of the movie. I originally was going to use a quote for the previous chapter, but I thought the song would be more fitting as Konoha is destroyed. Just YouTube the title of the song and Evangelion to listen to it. I chose that song because I was reading the scenes of Konoha's invasion and destruction while a buddy of mine was watching said movie.

_'Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate. '_

_'Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.'_

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Ruins of Konohagakure no Sato – three weeks after its destruction.

It was a strange homecoming of sorts.

Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, Hinata Namikaze, Anko Mitarashi, Kitami Akashiya, and Team Misfits were returning to Konoha after being away for so many years. They were not alone, though, as an escort of Neo Uzu ANBU were escorting them, as well as Minato and Hitomi Namikaze was accompanying them to their parents' ancestral village.

It was an S-ranked assignment ordered by Naruto himself – the recovery of the ashes of the first four Hokages – Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Minato Namikaze – as well as the ashes of Naruto mother and predecessor, Whirlpool Damiyo Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze.

Unlike the Konoha team, whose trip had taken them two weeks just to get to Whirlpool, it only took Naruto and his team one week from start to finish to arrive in Fire Country, then onto the Konoha ruins.

The destruction of Konoha came after the conclusion of the Whirlpool Taijutsu tournament. Tsunade and Jiraiya were dead, as were the majority of the Hyuuga clan. Aside from Tenten and the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, several main and cadet branch members of the Hyuuga escaped, and had hooked up with the four missing jounin, from what Naruto had learned from his information network.

Hikaru and Kasumi Sarutobi, ages 10 and 7 respectively – the daughters of the late Asuma and Kurenai Sarutobi – had escaped with the civilians when Konoha ordered its civilians to be evacuated. Before heading out of Fire Country, the Ino-Shika-Cho-Trio and Tenten found them and retrieved them from the civilian remnant that was in hiding before fleeing the country.

They owed Asuma and Kurenai **that** much. Luckily, they found out that their parents did not poison their minds about the Jinchuuriki. Deciding to keep their crimes in regards to the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki a secret, they decided not to tell Hikaru and Kasumi, which would destroy their impression of their parents. Better to have them think that their parents died honorably.

Naruto knew where they were hiding, and even he knew from experience that the life of a mercenary/missing ninja was not an easy one. His own children were born in Suna, and had traveled with him and Hinata before he decided to revive Whirlpool.

So after talking it over with Konan, he decided to do the one thing nice for anyone from Konoha. After all, only Shikamaru and Chouji were the ones who showed him kindness despite their parents' attempts to kill him. Ino had grown out of her obsession over the Uchiha following the retrieval mission, deciding to let Sakura have him. Then there was the fact that Tenten was now a widow, having married Neji in secret, thus making Tenten the de facto head of the Hyuuga, as she carried the Branch Clan head's child in her womb. The marriage became public thanks to Hanabi, but before Neji could be reprimanded for marring someone out of the Hyuuga clan, Rashoujin Hanzou had invaded Fire Country.

With Konan approving of the situation, he dispatched an Neo Uzu courier ninja to Sea Country with the following terms: Asylum in Whirlpool Country, with the rank of Jounin. Of course, they would be on probation for one year and their missions would be limited to mostly patrols in Whirlpool, Wave and North Whirlpool. Should they wish it, Hikaru and Kasumi would be enrolled in the Neo Uzu Shinobi Academy. The offer was also extended to the surviving Hyuuga, with the promise that the Caged Bird Seal would be forever banned so long as the Hyuuga serve Neo Uzu.

Both Naruto and Hinata were dressed in their combat gear from their days as mercenary ninja. Even though Naruto was the Damiyo, he was still a ninja overall.

As they approached the destroyed village, Naruto and Hinata separated themselves from the group to walk around, while ordering Maru and the others to meet up at the graveyard, but not before taking Minato and Hitomi with them. Kitami decided to tag along with the Namikaze family.

"So...this was your home? Where you and Mom grew up?" Minato asked as they followed their parents through the village.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Things were different back then. I was an orphan denied my family legacy, despite Old Man Sarutobi's efforts. She was the heiress to the Hyuuga clan. Your uncle Maru...he was not that much younger than me. I met him inside Sarutobi's office. He accused me of stepping on his scarf, which was longer than he was."

"So what are we doing here?" Hitomi asked. "This place is a wreck."

"Closure, mostly," Hinata replied. "Konohagakure has tried to kill your father and me for a long time. Only when he became the Whirlpool Damiyo did they almost stopped altogether. We didn't tell you this, but they tried to kidnap you a couple of years ago."

"Because of our dojutsu?" Minato asked.

Naruto nodded. "Because of your dojutsu."

The orphanage where Naruto had spent the first six years of his life was nothing but rubble, as was the run-down apartment where Sarutobi had set him up in. The Uchiha District had long since been destroyed, as the Hokage had cordoned the entire area off. The Konoha Hospital, nothing but debris, the final resting place of Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno.

Last, was the Hokage Tower, Jiraiya's resting place. Naruto made good on Hanzou's suggestion and promptly emptied his bladder onto the debris.

In truth, this was Naruto's **second **time in returning to the village. When the attempt to kidnap Minato and Hitomi had failed, Naruto had personally infiltrated Konoha, disguised as an ANBU Black Ops operative with the intent of killing Sasuke Uchiha. But instead stayed his hand. He had beaten Cell Seven, and that was the end of it. The dead last was clearly stronger than his former teammates and sensei.

Using a ROOT ANBU which he had hypnotized with his Rinnegan, he gained access to Danzou's underground ROOT headquarters. There, now under the henge of a ROOT operative, Naruto found Danzou's files on himself, Hinata, their two children...and those regarding Hanzou the Salamander and Rashoujin Hanzou and the Tsuchigake, Kurotsuchi. Danzou kept meticulously detailed files on those who he in his eyes were the threats to Konoha and to himself.

Danzou also left detailed information about how he betrayed Hanzou in the Second Shinobi War, of how his ROOT ANBU slaughtered Hanzou's family and supporters, and of his plans to assassinate Rashoujin Hanzou should he ever come to power in Amegakure, not to mentionorchestrating the assassination of Kurotsuchi's grandfather, Onoki.

Even damning was the fact that the Fire Lord himself had signed the blackout order.

It was then, Naruto decided to formulate a plan. A plan which would lead to Konoha's downfall.

He left with the files and escaped from Konoha once again without drawing the attention of the Konoha ninja...but not before torching Ichiraku's Ramen as payback for Teuchi and Ayame poisoning his ramen. Once he was in Wind Country under the pretense of visiting Gaara, he sent the copies of the files to Ame. Hanzou did not know who had sent the files, of course, but Naruto knew that should Hanzou come to power, then Danzou will try to assassinate him.

As expected, Hanzou was on his guard. So when Naruto received word that Ame had invaded Fire Country, he was not surprised. Hinata knew, of course, as he was the one who told her the same day that the notice about the invasion came in.

* * *

><p>[Flashback]<p>

_Office of the Hokage._

"_You know that Konoha will more than likely ask for our help," Hinata said. "They always believed that you would defend your precious people in their darkest hour."_

_Naruto scoffed. "The people that are precious to me are here. Konoha chose a traitor over me. They did not see me as a human being, but rather the Nine-Tails reborn. Some of them hate the Uchiha runt, but they despise me even more. People I thought were my friends tried to kill me over the years. Teuchi and Ayane with their poisoned ramen...your own sensei with her genjutsu. Even Tsunade and Jiraiya wanted my death for their own selfish reasons."_

_The Damiyo of Whirlpool rose from his seat. "I will not aid Konoha in this mess of their own choosing. Even if they offer me the position of Hokage, I would not accept it. They made their choice. Now they have to live with it...which is not for very long."_

"_Is there something you're not telling me?" Hinata asked._

"_Whatever you mean, Hina-hime?"_

_Hinata folded her arms across her chest. "You're a lousy liar, Naruto. I know you're up to something."_

"_So? It's part of the job."_

"_Naruto..."_

"_Fine." Naruto reached into his desk drawer and pulled out several manilla folders. He handed two of them to Hinata. "Remember when the Uchiha and Hiashi tried to kidnap our children by using the Hyuuga ninja and the ROOT ANBU?"_

_Hinata nodded. _

"_I left a shadow clone here and followed the Hyuuga Ninja back to Konoha," Naruto confessed. He then gave her the whole story, about how he planned on using the Rinnegan to cause havoc, but instead snuck into Danzou's ROOT headquarters and stole the files on his family and on Rashoujin Hanzou."_

"_You made copies and sent them anonymously to Rashoujin Hanzou?" Hinata guessed. "To warn him of Konoha's intentions?"_

_Naruto nodded. "I thought about going to war with Konoha for the slights they had done to us. But instead, we'll let someone else do the fighting. Someone who has a valid grudge towards Danzou and the others. I knew that Konoha would try something funny, so I sent him the files as a heads-up warning. It can't be traced back to me. For all he knows, it could be the Shinigami who sent him those files. I'm also betting that Iwa would also want in on destroying Konoha, due to the bad blood between the two from back when my old man Hiraishin-ed most of the Iwa forces into oblivion. But...since we both had ties to Konoha, they would worry about us joining in on Konoha's side. So they will need some reassurance in us keeping out of the war. Once I make my intentions personally clear, only then will they invade the Leaf and burn it to the ground."_

"_And how will you do just that?" Hinata asked. _

"_Easy. Ame will come to us. Afterward, we sit back and wait. Too bad we have to leave for Azura. I would love to be there when Konoha finally get their comeuppance. Just sit back and watch the mayhem unfold with a nice drink and some popcorn."_

"_And what about the Konoha 11? Not all of them are guilty. They **did** treat us with some kindness."_

"_Kiba wanted to get into your pants. Neji still hates your guts after you kicked his ass twice. Sasuke and Sakura, they want me dead. Shino and Rock Lee are somewhere down the middle...and the Ino-Shika-Cho and Tenten...they were the only ones who didn't treat us like crap." He smiled evilly. "I know that Konoha will send someone here to ask for aid in this war. Kinda ironic don't you think? That their intended savior is the one responsible for their destruction. Konoha's downfall was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm just giving it a little nudge in the form of Hanzou and Kurotsuchi."_

"_Some people would call that hubris," Hinata said._

"_It's only hubris if I fail," Naruto replied. "Either way, the files can't be traced to me."_

[End Flashback]

* * *

><p>"I never should have doubted you, love," Hinata acquiesced. "You truly live up to your title of being the most unpredictable ninja."<p>

"I know. It was one hell of a gambit, though," Naruto admitted, as they stopped in front of what used to be the Hyuuga Compound. All was left was a smoking ruin, just like everywhere else. "But it paid off."

"Indeed it has," Hinata replied.

* * *

><p>Konoha Graveyard.<p>

The graveyard was left untouched, as per Hanzou's orders. Once Naruto and Hinata had arrived, the digging began; Maru and Naruto uncovering the ashes of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Namikaze, while the ninja unearthed the remains of Tobirama Senju and Hashirama Senju.

In all, four urns were recovered, one of them containing the remains of both Minato and Kushina, as it was in his will that their ashes share the same urn, thus being together in death. With great care and reverence, the urns were stored in a storage scroll.

With nothing else left for them in Konohagakure, the Neo Uzu contingent left for Neo Uzushiogakure.

* * *

><p>Neo Uzushiogakure no Sato – one week later.<p>

In a quiet, solemn ceremony, the remains of Damiyo Kushina Namikaze and her husband were laid to rest inside the Uzu cemetery. The Senju brothers and Hiruzen Sarutobi were also laid to rest by Maru's hand.

Returning to the village, the Namikaze family and Team Misfits found an unexpected surprise waiting for them.

The Konoha Remnants, consisting of the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, Tenten, and thirty Hyuuga ninja. It was apparent that they had received and accepted Naruto's invitation of asylum. While Naruto was away, the courier ninja found Shikamaru and the others and delivered his message. After spending several hours taking about it, they decided that working for Naruto wouldn't be a bad thing.

Having been elected as spokesman (not by his choice), Shikamaru approached Naruto. The Whirlpool Damiyo did the same.

"I see you received my message," Naruto said.

"We did," Shikamaru said.

"And...?"

"We all agreed. We don't know you and Hinata survived as mercenary ninja, but it's too troublesome for us. We accept your offer of asylum."

Naruto nodded. "Good. How many you have with you?"

"Thirty cadet branch Hyuuga, five main branch Hyuuga, Ino, Chouji, myself, Tenten, and Asuma-sen...I mean Asuma's girls."

"Sarutobi had kids?" Naruto asked.

"With Kurenai."

"We'll have them enlisted in the shinobi academy immediately. I will warn you only once. This is a one-time act of mercy, as you and your three friends showed kindness to me and Hinata. Any acts of treachery from you or the others, and they will not be around to argue. Are we clear?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Very."

"You may go. Konan will see to it that you and the others are given a place to stay."

"Thanks." Accompanied by several ANBU, Shikamaru and the others left.

Naruto returned to Hinata and the others. He dismissed the impromptu honor guard and returned home with his wife, the smile never leaving his face.

It was the smile one would have where friends were reconciled. It was one of victory and of vengeance having been served. Sure Hanzou and Kurotsuchi had destroyed Konohagakure, but he was the silent partner of sorts, delivering the damning evidence he found inside the ROOT Headquarters into Hanzou's hands. He was able to do what Orochimaru had failed to do.

He crushed Konoha. What made his victory even more sweeter was the fact that he did it without drawing his sword.

Ironically, Konoha had banished him because he was capable of destroying Konoha. In the end, they were right, but they brought it down on themselves, aside the fact that Naruto did not need the power of the Nine-Tails in order to do so. In the end, it all came down to honoring the final wishes of the Yondaime.

Had Konohagakure and the former Sannin did what Minato had asked, then none of this would have come to pass. Konoha would still be the most powerful of the Shinobi nations, Sasuke would have been imprisoned for his attempted defection, and Naruto would have been recognized as a hero as per his father's wishes.

'Those who do evil will eventually face judgment, either in this life or the next,' Naruto thought. 'Konoha loses...and I win. Through this, Fire Country will fall and Whirlpool will rise. Oh who am I kidding, Whirlpool has already risen to great village status. Only difference is that I used diplomacy rather than Danzou's method – by the edge of a sword. A tradition that the Namikaze will follow for as long there is a need for shinobi.'

Ironically, the day of Konoha's destruction had fallen on a significant date.

The day of his banishment following the Uchiha Retrieval Mission, which made his victory all the sweeter.

It had taken twenty years, but Konohagakure had finally received its just dues.

**End...not yet  
><strong>


	7. Alternative Ending

**Part Four: Alternative Ending**

Snafu's Notes: No more Mr. Nice Damiyo. Konoha had crossed the line with their kidnapping attempt of Minato and Hitomi. After getting a hold of the damning evidence from Danzou's ROOT Headquarters, instead of Naruto using it to warn Hanzou of Danzou's intentions, but instead uses the incriminating evidence to spearhead an invasion of Konoha?

"_If revenge is a dish best served cold, then put on your Sunday finest. It's time to feast!" _

- Mr. Freeze, Batman and Robin

Konohagakure no Sato, Fire Country – Office of the Hokage, two days after the fall of Konohagakure...

Inside the office of the Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze leaned back in the chair, eyes closed in thought. Outside of the Hokage Tower, half of Konoha was in flames. After nineteen years of repeated attacks from minor villages, Konoha was severely weakened.

Then, just two days ago, a coalition force of Neo Uzu, Suna, Kumo and Iwa ninja had invaded Fire Country from both sides, swiftly overtaking the Fire Capital and holding the Fire Lord hostage. And today...Konohagakure was no more.

The Hidden Leaf Village had fallen.

'It's ironic,' Naruto thought to himself. 'My father, the Yondaime saved Konoha and brought it to greatness, while his son orchestrated its demise. Just think that if Konoha had not tried to kidnap Minato and Hitomi, then none of this would have happened.'

After proving that he and his wife were stronger than their former teammates and their former village, Konoha was put on the backburner. He had beaten Cell Seven, and that was the end of it. The dead last was clearly stronger than his former teammates and sensei. Hell, Neo Uzu made Chuunin and Jounin-level ninja in half the time it took Konoha to produce shinobi of the same rank, and their weakest Chuunin could kill three Jounin-level ninja.

But when Danzou and Hiashi had sent ROOT ANBU to his home in an attempt to kidnap his son and daughter, that was the last straw.

Naruto found the mission scroll on one of the ROOT ANBU. It was a co-op by Hiashi Hyuuga and Danzou Shimura. Danzou would forcibly initiate Minato into the ROOT ANBU and either make him into a weapon for Konoha, or kill him and steal the Rinnegan. Hiashi wanted Hitomi placed under the Caged Bird Seal and killed out of pure spite.

After the failed mission, Naruto had personally infiltrated Konoha, disguised as an ANBU Black Ops operative with the intent of killing Sasuke Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuuga and Danzou Shimura. But instead stayed his hand.

Using a ROOT ANBU which he had hypnotized with his Rinnegan, he gained access to Danzou's underground ROOT headquarters. There, now under the henge of a ROOT operative, Naruto found Danzou's files on himself, Hinata, their two children...every major player in the Elemental Countries.

Danzou had kept very detailed files about his past crimes, as well as files on the movers and shakers in the Elemental Countries. Several of Danzou's crimes was selling out Whirlpool to destruction in the last Shinobi War, hoping that with Kushina's death, he could have Konoha annex the nation. Much to Naruto's anger, he also sold out his father to Iwa, hoping that the Stone would have killed him in the last Shinobi War. Danzou just didn't count on his father using the Hiraishin to slaughter the Iwa ninja en masse. Much to Naruto's rage, he saw that Danzou was responsible for the death of his mother.

Kushina did not die in childbirth after all. She had been poisoned to death in order to remove her from the equation.

He also backstabbed Hanzou the Salamander, the great-grandfather of Rashoujin Hanzou, who was in command of Amegakure, orchestrated the assassination of Onoki, the previous Tsuchikage and was planning to do the same to his successor, Kurotsuchi and the Earth Damiyo. Surprisingly enough, he did not know about Kitami's true nature as the bijuu queen.

Not even Damiyo Kazahana and her family were safe from from Danzou's schemes, as it was Danzou himself who secretly financed Doto Kazahana's coup against Koyuki's father in exchange for Spring's chakra armor and volley guns. He even saw the Water Damiyo and Mizukage Mei Terumi as a serious threat, given how she had ended the bloodline wars in her native country.

Even more worse, was that the Fire Lord had signed off on each order. He was the one who was pulling all the strings, with Danzou as his lieutenant. But the most damning piece of evidence was the series of notes that Danzou had taken, which had said that it was Sasuke Uchiha – a member of Danzou's ROOT – who had recommended kidnapping the children.

Retrieving the files on Iwa, Kumo and Suna, Naruto quickly made his exit.

Returning to Whirlpool, he called for a meeting with Hinata, Anko, Kitami, Yahiko and Konan. There, he showed them the files he pilfered from Danzou's underground base. After an all-night session, the Damiyo of Whirlpool and his inner circle came to the same conclusion: Konoha had to pay, and the other Shinobi nations had to be warned.

He sent Rinnegan-powered shadow clones of himself to Wind, Earth and Lightning Country, with the incriminating files in hand and upon arrival, requested a sit-down with the respective kages and damiyos.

Naruto's clones showed them the incriminating files he had pilfered from Danzou's ROOT base. By the end of the meeting, they all came to the same conclusion: Konoha and the Fire Damiyo had to be stopped. Despite repeated attacks from smaller villages over the near two decades, and the fact that they were no longer one of the five great nations, Konoha and Fire Country was still a threat.

Naruto laid out the plan. One month from then, Sasuke Uchiha will be named as Rokudaime Hokage. All of Konoha would be out celebrating, which means there would be less patrols out and about. Naruto knew from experience that there would be no missions during the time that a new Hokage was chosen. Against once village, Konoha had a chance for survival, but against **five** shinobi villages...

First, the Fire Lord had to be neutralized, which meant an invasion of the Fire Capital. Once the Fire Damiyo was secured, then it was on to Konohagakure no Sato. The gathered leaders did agree with Naruto on several points – that Danzou was a power-mad warhawk who wanted to destabilize the region. Worst case scenario was that he would jump-start another Shinobi War.

Despite the occasional disputes from rival villages, the people of the Elemental Countries have grown to enjoy the peace and stability. Add the fact that Naruto's Whirlpool Tournaments were instrumental in keeping the peace by allowing rival villages to vent without killing one another, the leaders have no desired to be pulled into another war of Danzou's making, nor would it be forced to bow to the mad warhawk with a God complex.

Once Konoha was brought under the ninja coalition forces' control, an assessment of the village's finances would be taken, from the cash in the village's treasury to the personal wealth of the clans. They would be liquidated and split evenly among Neo Whirlpool, Sand, Lightning, and Stone. All of the village's jutsu was to be destroyed. The Fire Lord will be forced to sign a treaty, in which in order for him to keep his post as ruler of Fire Country, he must not allow a shinobi village to be established in his lands.

As for his former teammates, their families, their senseis and his ex-godparents, not to mention the Civilian Council, they would be dealt with by Naruto **personally**.

Then, Konoha would be burned to the ground.

Iwa, Suna, Kiri and Kumo agreed to Naruto's proposal. Thus, the Allied Shinobi Force was born, with Naruto as the supreme commander.

The mission was called **Operation Yondaime's Wrath**.

* * *

><p>It took only three weeks for the coalition forces to build their forces. Once they were ready, they made their move.<p>

One week before Sasuke's ascension to the seat of Hokage, a crack squad of ANBU from the five countries, plus Mist's Reformed Seven Swordsmen, invaded the Fire Capital in the dead of night. By the following morning, the people woke up to find that the Fire Capital had been occupied by invading forces. The Fire Damiyo's samurai forces had been stomped out, his 12 Guardian Ninja killed, and the Fire Lord himself taken hostage along with his family.

Upon showing him the evidence of his crimes, the Fire Lord caved in and signed the terms of surrender, sealing Konoha's fate. By the following morning, Naruto had sent out copies of Danzou's files to the surrounding countries, revealing Konoha's treachery. When the invasion of Konoha began, it would be in every newspaper, every broadcast.

Next, came the invasion of Konoha. The Allied Shinobi forces swarmed into the unsuspecting country, laying waste to every Konoha patrol and outpost. Not taking any chances, they even incinerated the messenger birds so that by the time Konoha knew what was happening, it would already be too late.

Upon arriving in Konoha, Neo Uzu ANBU's Demolitions Team set charges at the village gates, and at key points in the village's walls surrounding Konoha. Each member had their part to play. But those that had wronged Naruto, he would deal with himself.

Naruto's orders: "Spare the civilian population. Eliminate the shinobi."

The charges were triggered and before Konoha knew what the hell was going on, the Allied Shinobi Forces swarmed into the city. Naruto had led the assault from the front gate, and made his intentions quite clear.

"_Konohagakure no Sato! The Kyuubi brat has returned! I bring the destruction of your village!"_

Minutes later, as Naruto's forces had carved a path of destruction through the Konoha shinobi, a counterattack led by the Rokudaime Hokage met Naruto as he was halfway to his destination – the Hokage Tower. The Neo Uzu Shinobi had their orders. Naruto had a bone to pick with this guy.

* * *

><p>[Flashback]<p>

_Two days earlier..._

_Two former teammates – the dead last and the Uchiha Elite, now the Whirlpool Damiyo and the Rokudaime Hokage – squared off on the rooftops near Konoha Stadium, Naruto in his battle uniform, O-katana in his hand while Sasuke was clad in his ROOT ANBU uniform, complete with chokuto._

_Below, the village was fighting a desperate battle for their survival._

_Sasuke had ordered the ROOT not to interfere, while Naruto ordered his coalition forces to do the same. _

"_Dobe. Dobe. Dobe. You saved me the trouble of actually planning an invasion of your cesspool of a country," Sasuke said. _

"_I told you once, Uchiha. You were alive because of my grace," Naruto replied, his voice as cold as ice. "But you crossed the line when you ordered the kidnapping of my son and daughter."_

"_Ha! Your little demon bastards should be honored to serve Konoha's will! Minato shows promise with that Rinnegan of his, and Hiashi...well, he wanted to kill little Hitomi out of spite for both you and Hinata. So tell me, Dobe...is your cute little wife a good ride? I'll find out when I kill you and take Hinata as my prize."_

_Naruto kept his cool. But he knew how to push Sasuke's buttons. "Have you learned anything new since our last encounter? For being part of the elite ANBU, you have failed in trying to kill me at the Valley of the End, despite your Curse Seal. You couldn't beat me even with the scarecrow. And you couldn't beat me back in Whirlpool. Admit it, Uchiha. The dead-last has surpassed the runt of the Uchiha clan. Itachi was a far better challenge than you."_

_That did it. "SHUT UP! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK OF HIM!"_

"_I have every right, as I was the one who killed him, remember? He wanted you to kill him, but I took that from him. If there is any consolation, I gave him a quick, clean death."_

_Saskue's eyes glowed with rage, as his chokuto's blade began to dance with lightning. "You're dead, Naruto! You! Your wife! Your children! ALL OF YOU! FUCKING DEAD!"_

"_Good. Because this is our final battle," Naruto said as his eyes morphed into the Rinnegan. "You will die this very night, Sasuke Uchiha."_

[End Flashback]

* * *

><p>The final battle between Naruto and Sasuke was indeed brutal. Swords, jutsu, bare hands, nothing was out of bounds. Naruto could have summoned the Toads, but he wanted to kill the Uchiha on his own terms. The battle had started on the roofs near the stadium, and ended inside the ruins of the Uchiha District.<p>

Naruto and Sasuke even lost hold of their swords and went at it hand-to-hand. When Naruto gained the upper hand in that contest, Sasuke responded by pulling out his trump card – the eyes of the betrayer, the Magenkyou Sharingan. In a last-ditch effort, Sasuke unleashed Amaterasu, hoping to eliminate his nemesis once and for all.

* * *

><p>[Flashback]<p>

_Streets of the Uchiha District._

_Naruto watched as Sasuke's eyes morphed into that of the Magenkyou. After fighting Itachi several times, Naruto knew what their capabilities were. _

"_So you got the Magenkyou," Naruto said. "Whoopty-fucking-shit. Who'd you stab in the back to get those?"_

"_Our former teammate, just before the battle began," Sasuke smirked, remembering how he gutted Sakura before leading the counter-attack. "You should feel honored, Dobe, to die at my hands. I'll give your slut my regards...AMATERASU!"_

_Naruto smirked as the black flames sailed towards him. He had seen Itachi use this attack, and knew what to do._

_Too bad Sasuke did not notice the seal that was attached to his back._

"_Hiraishin no Jutsu."_

_The black flames had masked the trademark yellow flash, but Naruto appeared behind Sasuke, kunai in hand._

"_You missed, Teme," Naruto deadpanned. "But I didn't."_

_Sasuke saw that something was wrong. Naruto was still alive..._

_...and he was choking on his own blood. _

_Naruto had sliced his throat while performing the Hiraishin._

_As the black flames dissipated, Naruto retrieved his sword and Sasuke's chokuto. Turning to face his teammate, who had sank to his knees, trying to hold his throat with both hands in an attempt to stave off his impending death, he looked at Naruto with all the hate he could muster._

"_You lose, Uchiha," Naruto deadpanned. "And I win. Give my regards to your brother."_

"_You...you..." At that moment, Sasuke Uchiha keeled over, dead. _

_The Last Uchiha had fallen. The Curse of Hatred was extinguished._

[End Flashback]

* * *

><p>Naruto had taken Sasuke's body and took it to the Hokage Monument. Holding it high, he shouted to the remaining defenders of Konoha: "Your Rokudaime is dead! Surrender now...or die!"<p>

Seeing the 'Kyuubi brat' with their leader's body had the desired effect. Two hours after the battle had begun, Konohagakure no Sato surrendered. Almost immediately, the Konoha 11, their parents and their senseis were rounded up, their chakra sealed (and Kakashi's case, his Sharingan ripped out of his eye socket), and imprisoned inside the main grounds of the Konoha Stadium, along with the Civilian Council.

Hiashi Hyuuga was absent. Unknown to the others, Hinata had killed him herself. Like Naruto, she did not take too kindly to her father trying to kidnap her daughter.

While Naruto had fought Sasuke, Hinata and Kitami paid a visit to the Hyuuga Compound. Surprizingly enough, the Cadet Branch allowed her access, as there was a mass uprising from the Cadet Branch against the Main Branch. Neji, unfortunately chose the wrong side and fought for the Main Branch, cutting down his fellow clansmen.

Hinata's method in dealing with Neji was easy. She simply activated the Caged Bird Seal and left him to die. Which he did. The, she had the surviving Cadet Branch Hyuuga track down the Hyuuga Council, her father and her sister. As it turned out, Hanabi was just like her father when it came to abusing the Cadet Branch. She even killed a female Cadet Branch member when it turned out she was in love with someone outside of the clan – a shinobi from Kumo.

In retaliation, Hinata not only used her husband's seals to seal off their chakra, but also placed them under the Caged Bird Seal en masse. Then she activated them and watched as the Hyuuga Council, her father and sister died in agonizing pain. Hell hath no fury like a mother protecting her children.

The surviving Main Branch ninja would be sent off to Kumo. The Cadet Branch would be taken to Neo Uzu.

Danzou had died during the fighting, having been slain by both Naruto and Kitami. Danzou thought that the bloodlines he had stolen from the Uchiha and from the Senju was more than enough to bring the Damiyo of Whirlpool under his control. He was so very wrong.

As he laid dying, his headquarters was being pilfered of everything that wasn't nailed down, his ROOT dying all around him, he saw that the redhead woman was in fact, the Nine-Tails in human form, meaning that Naruto was not the Kyuubi reborn, but was in fact its (former) jailer.

Speaking of the late Danzou, Naruto and the Shinobi Coalition commanders had taken his files from both his compound and from the underground ROOT base. Once the city was under their control, they sat down and looked over the files of Danzou's crimes. Fortunately, as Danzou was dead, none of his plans would come to fruition, as he had failed.

The village's jutsu were raided from the shinobi library was ransacked and destroyed. The village's finances were then audited by an independent firm from Tea Country. No one, be it shinobi nor civilian, was spared from the audit. As expected, the Uchiha was the richest of the clans. Once the village's finances were liquidated, the five shinobi nations each received their cut. Iwa returned to their village with their share of the cash, content and happy with the results that Konoha will soon fall at the hands of the Yondaime's son. Kiri also returned to their native village, as did Kumo, leaving Suna alone with Neo Uzu.

Kumo, Iwa, Kiri and Suna agreed to take the orphaned children and the genin to their respective nations. Their minds would be erased of their time in Konoha and memories would be implanted to make sure that they would be loyal to their new villages.

Then came the confrontation with what remained of the Konoha 11 the previous night.

* * *

><p>[Flashback]<p>

_Hokage Tower, Council Chambers – nighttime._

_The six remaining members of the Rookie Nine stood before the Whirlpool Damiyo, his wife, and the Kazakage of Suna._

_Shikamaru Nara. Ino Yamanaka. Chouji Akamichi. Tenten, Rock Lee, Shino Aburame. _

_Both Kiba Inuzuka and Neji Hyuuga were dead – Kiba having died at the hands of Kitami Akashiya while Hinata killed her cousin._

_As with their parents, their chakra was sealed, their wrists were bound as they were taken from the impromptu prison from the Konoha Stadium to the Hokage Tower where Naruto awaited with Hinata, Konan, and Gaara. Kitami stood off to the side along with several Neo Uzu ANBU._

"_Konoha is finished," Naruto began without preamble. "Sasuke Uchiha is dead, as you already know. Your parents and your senseis will face execution, as will the Civilian Council and the former sanin."_

"_So why are we here?" Ino demanded. "If you have anything to offer us, you can shove it, Uzumaki. We would rather die with our families and senseis."_

"_No need to be rude, Yamanaka," Naruto replied. "I'm here to offer you six an offer. You six will be separated – three of you will go to Suna, and the other six will return with Hinata and I to Neo Uzu."_

"_As your prisoners," Tenten surmised, arms folded._

"_No. All you six have to do is swear loyalty to both Gaara and myself, and you will be pardoned," Naruto replied. "The Ino-Shika-Cho trio will be taken to Suna, while what's left of Cell Gai and Shino will come with us to Neo Uzu. You will be placed on probation for eighteen months and watched closely. Should you prove your worth, then we will fully accept you in our respective villages."_

_Naruto raised one hand. "But before you say anything, I will tell you why your parents and senseis are being executed along with the perv and the hag." He turned to Kitami. "Show them."_

_Kitami nodded. The six ninja recognized the chakra signature of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, as Naruto had used on several occasions. Nine fox tails snaked out from behind Kitami as her green eyes shifted to red with slitted pupils. _

"_This is the Kyuubi no Kitsune's human form," Naruto explained. "As you can see, the vixen and I are completely different entities. You can blame the Uchiha clan for driving her into a mad state and unleashing it upon Konoha."_

_The dawning realization was creeping onto them. Naruto Uzumaki was not the Kyuubi reborn. He was completely innocent in all of this. _

"_My father, the Yondaime Hokage wanted the people of the Leaf to see me as a hero for carrying such a burden," Naruto continued. "But despite the Sandaime's best efforts, I was treated like a village outcast for something that was not beyond my control. On top of that..." His eyes shifted into the Rinnegan. "...maybe it's best that I show you. After all, my memories are not fake. Experience what I have experienced."_

_And Naruto showed them. How their former senseis, as well as their own **parents**, had tried to kill him. How Tsunade betrayed him. How Jiraiya and the council conspired to rob him of his family's legacy and leave him with nothing. More importantly, they discovered the true reason why he was banished, and of Sasuke's confession of how he gutted Sakura in order to gain the Magenkyou Sharingan. _

_Needless to say, their impressions of their parents and their senseis had dropped down to zero._

"_Dad...Asuma...why?" Ino._

"_Troublesome. Very troublesome. Asuma...Dad, you fools..." Take a wild guess._

"_I think I lost my appetite." Chouji. _

"_Kurenai...Father...what have you done?" Shino._

"_So un-youthful. Damn you Gai!" Rock Lee._

"_My God. Gai...how could you?" Tenten._

"_Now you see," Naruto said as his eyes turned back to normal. "Now...are you willing to die for a village who has tried to rob me of everything? That has tried to kill me as a child? What say you now? Will you take the offer of exile...or you can face the same fate as will your senseis and parents? Make your choice."_

_It didn't take them long to agree with Naruto's demands. They chose to leave the village to their fate. _

_Shikamaru did have one request. He requested that the daughters of Asuma and Kurenai Sarutobi accompany them to Suna. Gaara agreed to the request. _

_Shino, Tenten and Rock Lee were taken back to the Hyuuga Estate, where the Neo Uzu senior staff were staying, while the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were taken to Suna once Gaara pulled his forces back._

_By that time, only Neo Uzu was left. _

[End Flashback]

* * *

><p>"Lord Damiyo."<p>

Naruto was brought out of his reverie. A Neo Uzu ANBU stood before him. "Report," Naruto commanded.

"We swept through the village. All of the civilians have been removed and sent elsewhere throughout the country," the ANBU reported. "The ashes of the first four Hokages and your mother have been retrieved and sealed away. All that is left is to deal with the Shinobi and Civilian clan heads inside the stadium. Your orders?"

"The seals are still in place, keeping them from escaping the stadium itself?"

"Yes, Lord Damiyo."

Naruto rose from his seat. "Good. I will deal with them myself."

* * *

><p>Konoha Stadium – noon.<p>

The stadium served as an outdoor prison/triage center for the surviving ninja, clan heads and the civilian council. The seals kept them from escaping, both the chakra-draining seals on their person and the seals blocking the exits, effectively keeping them on the stadium's tournament area.

Inoichi and the other clan heads were worried. Their children were not seen ever since they were taken to see the Kyuubi brat, and he suspected that Naruto could have them executed out of pure spite. Asuma and Kurenai's children were gone as well, and Kurenai was beside herself with grief. Out of the remaining clan heads, it was himself, Shikaku Nara, Chouza Akamichi, Tzume Inuzuka, Shibi Aburame, and Asuma Sarutobi. Out of the jounin senseis, it was Kakashi Hatake, Maito Gai and Kurenai Sarutobi. Through sheer dumb luck, Koharu Utatane and Honmura Mitokado also survived the battle, as did Tsunade Senju, and Jiraiya.

Shizune was killed during the battle, a victim of friendly fire from the Konoha forces.

Their worries were soon amplified by the arrival of Damiyo Namikaze and his entourage. Standing in the podium reserved for the Hokage and the visiting kages, Naruto looked down on the people who had hindered his progress from Day One. They tried, but failed in breaking him.

And now, it was time for some get even.

"Your village is finished," Naruto began in a chakra-enhanced voice. "Your Hokage – your precious Uchiha – is dead, killed by my hand. As it was the Yondaime – my father – who has brought this village to greatness, so will his son bring about its destruction!"

"You are no son of the Yondaime, Demon!" a random civilian councilman shouted.

**THUNK.**

Said councilman fell to the ground with a kunai embedded in his skull.

Naruto turned to his wife. "Nice aim, Hime." Turning back to the crowd, he caught sight of Jiraiya, Tsunade and Kakashi. "Had you honored the dying wishes of my father, this would not have ended this way for your village. Had Konoha left my family and my home in peace, I would not have to invade. You have brought this upon yourselves by throwing your lot in with a traitor rather than a hero."

Naruto paused for a moment. "All I every wanted was to be recognized by you. But you could not get past over what was inside of me..._at the time_."

At that, Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged glances. The Nine-Tails is free?

"I was loyal. Compared to the likes of Sasuke and Orochimaru, I was a saint! I was more than willing to give my life to the Leaf. All I wanted was recognition. Instead, you forsake me in favor of the Uchiha. I protected Konoha when it was invaded by Suna and Oto, and you denied me. I brought that old hag back to be Godaime, and you still denied me. I even went as far as taking two Chidoris in the chest to bring back your precious little traitor and what thanks do I get? Banishment! Banishment just for doing my job! And to top it off, you tried to rob me of my legacy!"

The clan heads and the council exchanged glances. The one thought that was going through their minds was 'How did he find out?'

Now Naruto was leaking killing intent. "And I also find out that my _godparents_ were in on the banishment and the attempted robbery." He smiled at Jiraiya. "I hoped you liked the present I left for you inside my father's estate, you old perv."

Jiraiya brought one hand to his scarred face, remembering that chest full of exploding tags that was left inside the empty estate.

"You tried to steal what was rightfully mine from the beginning! And you were more than willing to kill me in order to do so! Let's not forget that the so-called honorable clan heads and several key jounin tried to kill me when I was a child."

Inoichi and the others began to sweat. Anytime their attempts to kill the jinchuuriki had failed, Inoichi would simply wipe his mind whenever Naruto would end up in a hospital. They knew that they were so very much screwed.

"You should know better, Yamanaka," Naruto snarled. "The fox restored my memories every time you tried to wipe them of you and your friend's attempts on my life."

"I should have killed you myself, you brat!" Tsunade shouted. "Damn it I should have killed you when you and Jiraiya came for me all those years ago! I should have knocked your head off back then!"

"**Silence!**" Naruto boomed. He drew his katana. "You tried to kill me. Allow me to return the favor. Only this time, you will die for real! Take comfort that your children will survive, but know that they will forever hate you for what you have done to me."

At that moment, Jiraiya noticed something on Tsunade's back. In fact, it was on every single clan head's backs. A second seal, aside from the one which sealed up their chakra.

Jiraiya's eyes widened in horror as he recognized the seal.

The Hiraishin seal.

"Hiraishin no Jutsu!"

A yellow flash was all that the captive shinobi saw. Then darkness.

Naruto stood in the midst of the bodies of the shinobi he had slain, his katana dripping with blood, his clothes also splattered with the blood of his fallen foes. The clan heads...the jounin...dead. Even Tsunade and Jiraiya were not spared his wrath.

Which left the the two ninja elders and the civilian council.

"I take it you spared us for a reason?" Koharu asked, frightened out of her mind.

"Of course," Naruto replied. A side glance towards Kitami and the redheaded woman was a Naruto's side in a geyser of fire.

"You will not die by my hand," Naruto said.

That garnered a sigh of relief from Koharu, Honmura and the civilian counci.

"Instead..." Naruto began as Kitami shifted into her fox form, in all her nine-tailed glory. Twice the size of Akamaru...and very pissed off. "You will die at the hands of Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Now the civilians looked very scared. The last thing that was going through their minds was that they had tortured an innocent child. They were trapped inside the stadium with nowhere to hide.

Now, they will pay for their ignorance with their lives.

* * *

><p>Once the town was evacuated, Naruto allowed Kitami to finish what she had started. As the Neo Uzu shinobi headed back home, Naruto and Hinata remained behind to watch as the Nine-Tails destroy Konoha once and for all.<p>

By the time Kitami was finished with the village, it was nothing but a smoking ruin.

The destruction of Konoha had not left a power vacuum as expected. Konoha had long since lost its status as the powerful of the Shinobi villages. Neo Uzushiogakure was now the most powerful, Suna and Iwa tied for second place. The people of Fire Country – their pride was broken with the loss of their village and of their wealth. But they brought it on themselves. Had they honored the last wishes of the Yondaime, then Konoha would have been left standing, with Naruto as its Hokage.

But, it was not meant to be. Konohagakure no Sato had all but ceased to exist.

Naruto had won.

**End...for real.**

Snafu's Notes: Ever wondered how I managed to crank out these chapters so fast? Truth is, they were already written. But after getting permission from ChrisM2011 to do my own version of the Emperor fanfic, I placed it on hold and used some of the material from this fanfic here. So after looking it over and cleaning up bits and pieces of it, I decided to post it all. Glad to see that you, the readers enjoy what I do, which makes writing all the worthwhile.

Maybe I should work on Evangelion next? Or Ranma? Decisions, decisions. Oh, and if anyone wants to do an omake on this story, then feel free. I may work on an omake, maybe not.

This is Snafu the Great, signing off.


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